Christian Kirk will miss a second straight Texans game with a hamstring, leaving Nico Collins, Xavier Hutchinson and Justin Watson to pace Monday night’s attack against Tampa Bay. Braxton Berrios is out too, and rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel could see extra targets as Tank Dell’s 2025 absence looms large.

Weeks 3 vs Jacksonville could finally bring Kirk back, a reunion with his former team that would reshape Houston’s target share and lift the value of the top three receivers and the rookies stepping in now.

Texans adjust for Week 2 vs. Tampa Bay as Jake Andrews sits with a rolled ankle and Ed Ingram returns to bolster the interior. Jarrett Patterson steps in at center to stabilize the line, while Christian Kirk and Braxton Berrios miss another game, narrowing the target tree behind Nico Collins. With Ingram back, Houston hopes to regain cohesion up front and lean on Collins and the slot options—Jaylin Noel and Xavier Hutchinson—along with Justin Watson in the interim.

Week 2 WR starts lean into ceiling plays such as Pickens against a vulnerable Giants secondary, Tillman exploiting Ravens’ man-heavy looks, and Higgins aiming to rebound after Week 1. Kupp presents a high-variance path given Seattle’s offense and injury risks. Ridley is a potential fade with Cam Ward’s uneven start in Tennessee. Lawrence and Stroud anchor a QB landscape that amplifies receiver ceilings, while Darnold’s Seahawks expose a path for opportunistic WRs. Two bold sit-start arcs emerge for Week 2 in this breakdown.

The memory that defined the Texans rise centers on a November 5, 2023 shootout with the Buccaneers. Rookie QB CJ Stroud erupted for 470 passing yards and five TDs, while Tank Dell piled up 114 yards and two scores in a 39-37 comeback that sent Houston on a playoff trajectory. Noah Brown added an 85-yard bomb, Dalton Schultz produced 130 yards, and Dare Ogunbowale case-marched in as emergency kicker to seal the wild finish.

Now Houston returns to prime time to host Baker Mayfield and TB in a home opener that tests the current version of Stroud and the offense. The win cemented Stroud as a franchise cornerstone and Dell as a budding threat, with the Pro Football Hall of Fame honoring Strouds breakout jersey as a tangible symbol of the scaling height the Texans have reached since that game.