TheHouston Texanscrushed the Pittsburgh Steelers, 30-6and Houston will move on in the NFL playoffs to battle theNew England Patriotsin the divisional round on Sunday.
They did so without the services of star receiverNico Collinsthroughout most of the second half. He wasinjured in the winand entered the NFL's concussion protocol after landing hard on his head trying to haul in a pass from C.J. Stroud over the middle of the field.
Collins exited the wild-card game with three catches for 21 yards and a team-high seven targets at the time.
Houston will travel to Foxborough to play the Patriots in the divisional round on Sunday afternoon. The question remaining is whether the star wide receiverwill be available as the Texans hope to upset the No. 2 seed on the road.
ThePatriots stifledthe Los Angeles Chargers, 16-3, and their defense wouldbenefit if Collins can't play this week.
Here's the latest on Collins.
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Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
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Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18)makes a catch for a touchdownagainst the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
Nico Collins injury update
Collins remains in the NFL's concussion protocol as of Wednesday, Jan. 14. It is unclear how much time he might miss, if any.
Collins was quickly ruled out with a concussion after hitting his head on the ground in the Texans' wild-card round game in Pittsburgh on Monday night.
As of Wednesday, the team has not yet provided an update on Collins.
Collins will have two more chances to practice fully this week before the Texans likely tag him with a designation ahead of Sunday's game against the Patriots.
Collins has one fewer day to complete concussion protocol because the Texans played on Monday. He appears to be trending towards missing this weekend's game against New England.
What is the NFL's concussion protocol?
The NFL's concussion protocol is designed to ensure a player's safety after suffering a head injury. It's a five-step process that a player must complete before they can return to play. Those steps are, asdefined by the NFL:
Symptom-limited activity
Aerobic exercise
Football-specific exercise
Club-based non-contact training drills
Full football activity/clearance
Before a player enters the protocol, they are evaluated on the sideline. The tests are conducted by the team's physician and an unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant. The evaluation includes observing any "no-go" symptoms, which are things like loss of consciousness, confusion, amnesia, and more, in addition to a history of concussions, other signs/symptoms, and video review.
At that point, a neurological exam is conducted and the player is escorted to the locker room if the sideline evaluation leaves any doubt.
Texans WR depth chart
Here's a look at the Texans' WR depth chart:
Nico Collins (injured)
Christian Kirk
Justin Watson
Houston played one game this season without Collins after he suffered a concussion in Week 7; Higgins led the team with eight targets.
Higgins and Noel, two rookies from Iowa State, have seen increased opportunities in the absence of Collins and Kirk throughout their first season. Higgins is an X-type receiver (6-4, 215 pounds) like Collins on the outside, while the smaller Noel is similar to the veteran Kirk.
Tank Dellremains on the NFI list because ofa severe knee injury he suffered last seasonwhile veteranJustin Watsonalso suffered a concussion in the wild-card game against Pittsburgh. Berrios has typically played a role on special teams but he was among Housotn's inactives on Monday night.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Will Nico Collins play this week? Latest injury update on Texans WR
