'No Choice!' Houston Texans' Nico Collins Describes Head Coach DeMeco Ryans

Houston Texans breakout wide receiver Nico Collins revealed what makes head coach DeMeco Ryans such a strong leader of a young team.

The biggest on-field reason for the Houston Texans’ exceeding of expectations comes down to how functional, if not, spectacular, the passing offense has looked in the early season.

Through five weeks, rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud has had little in the form of a running game or healthy offensive linemen, yet he’s looked leaps and bounds ahead of other young passers—some with better supporting casts.

He’s thrown for 1,461 yards and seven touchdowns. He currently holds the rookie record for most passes to start a career without an interception. Although his Texans are just 2-3, it has been an undeniably resounding success. The future of Houston football is in good hands.

Much of the credit belongs to receiver Nico Collins, who has established himself as a No. 1 receiver and a trusted target for Stroud, especially on key downs.

Collins scores a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 4 / USA TODAY Sports

Collins, on the “Up & Adams Show,” spoke about a separate key to this newfound success: first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans. He touched on the relationship he’s fostered and the elements of his personality that inspire growth from a developing team.

“It’s real tight. You can tell, DeMeco, he’s a players’ coach,” Collins said. “That’s a guy that has sat in these seats … that played for the Texans. That was a captain for the Texans.”

Ryans has preached the importance of a winning mindset, and it's shown in his press conferences, personnel decisions, and the reactions of his contemporaries. Even after starting 0-2, he had the backing of the Texans, who believed in his promises that they were increasingly close to victory.

“So he knows what it takes to win,” Collins added. “It’s a reason why he harps about the small details, harps about finishing plays, going full speed during the week, because it shows on Sunday.”

Like his Houston teammates, Collins is all in. He ranks first on the team in receptions (25), yards (467), and touchdowns (3). For reference, he had 37 receptions for 481 yards and two touchdowns in 2022. He’s nearly doubled his yards per target and brought his catch percentage up from 56.1% to 69.4%. The jump has been nothing short of remarkable.

Again, it circles back to Ryans.

“You can just tell his enthusiasm, his energy, he bring the juice,” Collins said. “Once you feel the energy man, you got no choice but to buy in.”

Ryans’ Texans will look to get back to their winning ways on Sunday against a New Orleans Saints team with markedly higher expectations entering the year, at least from the outside.