"We left a bad taste in our mouth leaving KC": Frustrated Nico Collins speaks out after Texans' loss to Chiefs

Nico Collins' four-year career can be split into two halves. In the first half, he didn't have CJ Stroud and his production showed it. In the second half, he rocketed to become one of the nationally known names on the team.

As such, after Stroud's Texans went down in flames against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC divisional round, Collins' words carried some weight. On Friday's edition of "The Insiders," Collins summed up what happened against Patrick Mahomes and the team's future going forward.

Collins said:

"We left a bad taste in our mouth leaving K.C. We know what it takes. We know what we got to do to make that next jump. ... We've got to figure it out, and I feel like we will. I'm not stressing about it. I love this team. I love the guys."

Of course, while the Texans have seen a jump since Stroud's addition, the team has quickly found a new pattern of struggling in the second round of the playoffs. In the 2023-24 season, they lost to the Baltimore Ravens.

In the 2024-25 season, they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. In both years, the team finished 10-7 in the regular season.

Exploring why Nico Collins slowed down in 2024

Nico Collins at Pro Bowl Games-AFC Practice - Source: Imagn

At face value, Nico Collins had a year that could be interpreted as a red flag. After logging 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns in 2023, he recorded 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024.

However, the totals are lower, but Collins might deserve somewhat of a pass on judgment. The Houston Texans receiver took 15 games to earn 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns in 2023 but logged more than 1,000 yards in just 12 games in 2024.

That's because a hamstring injury knocked him out for five games. As such, his production per game increased, while his overall production took a step back.

That said, the best ability is availability, so Collins has reason to do whatever it takes to see what happens if he can keep the same production on a game-by-game basis over the course of 17 games instead of 12.