New York (AFP) – NFL reception yardage leader Nico Collins of the Houston Texans and New England safety Jabrill Peppers will both be absent when the clubs meet on Sunday. Collins was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury on Wednesday, while Peppers was placed on the NFL Commissioner Exempt List after being arrested Saturday on assault charges.
The Texans (4-1) visit the Patriots (1-4) seeking their first win in eight starts at New England, which hasn’t hosted Houston since 2018. Collins, who leads the NFL with 567 reception yards on 32 catches with three touchdowns, will be out for at least a month, missing four games before he is eligible to return. That will cost the NFL’s top passing attack its best threat, as the Texans have thrown for 1,477 yards and seven touchdowns so far this season.
Collins was hurt in Houston’s 23-20 victory Sunday over Buffalo, departing after a 67-yard touchdown reception from C.J. Stroud. The Texans still boast star receiver Stefon Diggs, who has 31 catches for 315 yards and two touchdowns. Collins will also miss games against Green Bay, Indianapolis, and the New York Jets before being eligible to return before a November 10 clash against Detroit.
The Patriots, meanwhile, will operate indefinitely without 29-year-old defensive back Peppers, a team captain, who cannot practice or attend games while on the list. Peppers was charged with assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, strangulation, and possession of an illegal substance, police said. Peppers pleaded innocent to the charges and is scheduled to return to court on November 22. In four games this season, Peppers has made 23 tackles, broken up two passes, and made an interception.
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