The Houston Texans’ defense has been so good this season that it effectively nullifies every other positive aspect of this roster. And now, with wide receiver Nico Collins reportedly out with a concussion, their receiving corps has a chance to step up and bring its importance to light. Patriots safety Jaylinn Hawkins, for one, already knows what that group is capable of.

“They still got good players that could step up. You got 19, you got 81 the rookie he’s nice, 14 is a good receiver too, you still got [Christian] Kirk. Lot of good players, so gotta be prepared,” Hawkins said.

The Patriots’ defense will certainly be happy about not facing Collins. But Hawkins has made it clear that they certainly cannot be complacent. Texans have more than enough weapons to bring some damage.

Not long ago, Texans WRs Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel were still in college classrooms. Now they’re headed to Foxborough with a chance to play on the biggest stage and help keep Houston’s season alive. But they’re very much capable of causing trouble.

When the Texans arrive in New England, at least eight players on offense will be rookies or first-year guys. Higgins has already carved out a real role, catching six touchdowns for 525 yards while running 363 routes. He hasn’t looked overwhelmed one bit.

Noel hasn’t seen much action. He’s logged just 214 pass snaps, with two touchdowns and 292 yards, and 202 yards after the catch. If Collins can’t go, though, the targets have to go somewhere. A lot of that responsibility likely lands on Kirk. And if he plays as he did against the Steelers, Houston can survive.

Kirk stepped up on Monday night and was productive even before Collins left the game. He finished with eight catches on nine targets for 144 yards. That mattered, especially considering he didn’t post a single 100-yard game in 13 regular-season appearances and topped 50 yards only twice. That performance was a reminder of what he can still be.

This won’t be easy against New England. The Patriots allowed the 9th-fewest passing yards per game during the regular season, and they’ll have top corner Christian Gonzalez back from a concussion. It will be a test.

Sure, Houston has options and the bodies. But there’s no getting around it, they can’t fully replace what Nico Collins brings.

Nico Collins’ production cannot be replicated

It’s a talented receiver room, no question. But even at full strength, replacing someone like Nico Collins is a tall order. And there’s no guessing game here. Collins is out for Sunday against the Patriots.

Collins suffered a concussion last week against the Steelers. Before leaving the game, he caught three passes on seven targets for 21 yards. The injury came on a play where he tried to haul in a throw from C.J. Stroud, with Steelers corner Joey Porter Jr. decked all over his back.

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There was never much optimism after that. Collins didn’t practice on Wednesday or Thursday, and he was again unavailable during Friday’s session, according to Jonathan M. Alexander.

Over 15 regular-season games, Collins’ 71 catches were easily the most among Houston wide receivers and trailed only tight end Dalton Schultz (82) for the team lead overall. He paced the Texans in receiving yards with 1,117 and led them in receiving touchdowns with six. How does one even replicate that?

The small bit of optimism comes from one game. Stroud’s only 300-yard outing this season came without Collins in the lineup. Back in Week 8, in a 26–15 win over the 49ers, Stroud completed 30 of 39 passes for 318 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Let’s see if he can produce something like that again.

Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley believes the group can handle the adjustment just fine.

“We’ll be able to adjust and move guys around. The value of those guys in that room is that they’ve moved around quite a bit. Those guys have played a lot of different positions, from Z to X, X to Z, inside to outside, etc. We’ve got a lot of faith in whoever’s out there in that regard,” the OC said.

Sunday will tell whether those words hold up when the Texans line up without their top target.