Nico Collins remains out of practice Thursday

The Houston Texans are expected to be without wide receiver Nico Collins for their upcoming game against the New England Patriots on Sunday. Collins has not participated in practices this week after suffering a concussion during the Texans' wild card victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. With concussion protocols requiring a series of steps for clearance, Collins is not anticipated to be ready in time for the game. In his absence, Christian Kirk is expected to continue leading the wide receiver group, which also includes Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, Xavier Hutchinson, Justin Watson, and Braxton Berrios.