Texans’ Nico Collins candidly takes responsibility for costly late-game fumble against the Jaguars
At the end of the Houston Texans' Week 3 contest vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars, they would be hit with a momentum-shifting play while the game was tied with just under four minutes to go.
Star wideout Nico Collins would lose a fumble following a 10-yard reception on Houston's second-to-last offensive drive, looking to take the lead, punched out by Tyson Campbell, and recovered by the Jacksonville defense to lead to an offensive score to take the Jaguars up 17-10.
The Texans would eventually get the ball back with less than two minutes to go down by a touchdown, fall to another turnover with a C.J. Stroud interception, and thus reside at 0-3 to start the year.
After the game and a brutal beat for the Texans' star receiver, the message from Collins himself was simple: You've got to take care of the football in moments like that.
"I've just got to take care of the ball. That's it," Collins said after the Texans' loss. "Good punch out by him... That's on me."
It's not often Collins gets put into situations like that where he's the one not taking care of the football. Collins has only logged two total fumbles throughout the course of his five-year career, the only other time coming in 2023 vs. another divisional opponent in the Tennessee Titans.
It's unfamiliar territory for Collins to allow that costly turnover, but nonetheless, sometimes it's those one to two mistakes that can be the difference between winning and losing– a common trend in the early motions of this nightmarish season for the Texans.
Collins would finish his day with the best numbers he's had all season: eight catches for 104 yards and his second touchdown of the year, ending up as a huge playmaker for this offense in the midst of their persisting lulls. Still, though, that showing from Stroud's favorite target wouldn't be enough to get over the hump.
But Collins had his own uplifting message to dish out following the events of Week 3 in Jacksonville. While a winless record through three weeks hurts, there's a long road ahead for the season to bounce back from a less-than-ideal start.
"It's the NFL, man. 0-3, it hurts," Collins said. "It's a marathon. That's the NFL, everybody's good. You're not about to come in, and think you're going to run through everybody. Got to continue for yourself to continue to win, and continue to grow, and learn as you go. So, that's where we're at right now, 0-3. We've got a divisional game at home [against the Titans]. So, let's get to stepping."
"Got to continue to watch this film, continue to get better, continue to grow, and finding things we all need to improve on individually. So, starting with myself, take care of the ball, and continue to make plays."
Isiah Pacheco Faces Backlash for Mental Lapses and Mistakes in Chiefs' Win
While the Kansas City Chiefs did manage to secure a 13-point victory in Week 3, it was far from the prettiest of wins. Several players fell short at various points in the game, and running back Isiah Pacheco was no different.
In fact, the fourth-year halfback is being criticized as much as anyone in the aftermath.
Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco Roasted After Rough Week 3 Sequence
The lowest point for Pacheco came in the second quarter of play. After getting taken off course, the veteran halfback opened his hips the wrong way to face Kansas City’s own end zone. Upon feeling pressure, quarterback Patrick Mahomes then attempted an ill-advised pass in Pacheco’s direction.
Under normal circumstances, the pass would simply fall in Pacheco’s vicinity and be ruled an incompletion. Because Pacheco was well behind the line of scrimmage, however, it went down as a second-and-10 fumble for the visitors.
That set up a third-and-25 and head coach Andy Reid effectively giving up on the drive. The next play was a Kareem Hunt draw for six yards, setting up a punt and change of possession.
Speaking of Hunt, he got a lot of the money carries for the Chiefs. When they needed short-yardage conversions on late downs or entered goal line scenarios, they opted for the 30-year-old over Pacheco. That’s led many to speculate what the latter’s true value to the offense, as well as frustrated fantasy football owners, is.
A separate backwards pass from Mahomes was also in Pacheco’s general area. He’s lucky that his spike of the football was saved by a blown whistle to signal the end of the play. Otherwise, the Giants could’ve recovered a fumble and gained momentum.
Patrick Mahomes Comments on Backwards Pass & Andy Reid Praises Pacheco
After the conclusion of Sunday’s game, Mahomes shouldered the blame for mental lapses in judgment.
“Yeah, I kept throwing the ball backwards,” Mahomes said. “That’s not good. Just letting the rush get to me a little bit and then trying to kind of throw it without looking to see if the guy’s actually in the spot we’ve got to get to. Obviously, did it once. I knew immediately it was backwards. You could tell I’m running to go recover the ball even though they had blown the whistle. Secondly, did it again. I don’t think I’ve done it maybe ever in my career, so to do it twice in kind of a short span like that.”
Head coach Andy Reid, contrary to many folks who watched the game from home, felt that Pacheco did a solid job.
“I was probably the most happy for Pacheco coming home and putting up a 4.5 yard-per-carry shot out there, which was good,” Reid said.
In some ways, this can be viewed as Pacheco’s best game of the year. On his 10 carries, the former seventh-round pick managed to gain 45 yards. He also had a few chunk runs where he followed his blockers and created positive gains for Kansas City. Those 45 yards marked his most since Week 14 of last season.
According to rbsdm.com, the Chiefs posted a 50% success rate when Pacheco toted the football. That’s generally in line with his career average of 53.8%. After consecutive games of downright terrible non-Mahomes rushing production, Kansas City took a step in the right direction.
It’s telling that the bar for improvement is set that low, though. Pacheco still struggled with consistency and vision. That’s without even tying in his lack of awareness on the Sunday Night Football stage.
