The Houston Texans’ skid to a 1-8-1 record has not been pretty. They are, without a doubt, the worst team in the NFL, and the product they give fans on the field is legitimately hard to watch. Houston is clearly tanking for draft position, and it’d be hard to blame them for that, but for anyone subjected to watching Texans football, the outlook for the rest of the 2022 season is bleak.
Their current standings don’t seem to be affecting the players themselves much, though. Despite drama after the trade deadline with star receiver Brandin Cooks, the team has mostly maintained a cheery disposition when talking to reporters about their situation. Defensive lineman Maliek Collins was among the Texans who were asked about how the team might be able to better themselves before the season draws to a merciful close and told the media that he and his teammates are hard at work finding solutions to win at least one more game.
“We’re always having conversations with each other about what more each of us can do,” Collins explained. “[We] hold each other accountable. But one thing for sure is taking the ball away. We’ve got to do that. You can’t not take the ball away and win. That’s not the game in the NFL. We’ve got to give the offense more opportunities to score. We’ve got to limit other teams’ drives. That’s just the game.”
Collins’ response to a tough question is indicative of his professionalism amid circumstances that are certainly less than ideal. It isn’t easy for a player to face the media and give thoughtful answers while their team is in utter disarray, but Collins managed to do just that.
Behind his leadership, the Texans’ defense just might be able to pick up the pieces and salvage whatever they can of Houston’s failed 2022 campaign.
