Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins had 1,297 receiving yards last season and came into Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins averaging 58.3 receiving yards per game in the 2024 campaign.

The former Clay-Chalkville High School star had only 17 yards on four receptions against Miami, but he made the most of them scoring both of Houston’s touchdowns in a 20-12 victory.

Coupled with the Indianapolis Colts’ 31-13 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday, the victory clinched the AFC South title for the second straight season and the accompanying spot in the playoffs with three games remaining in the regular season.

Collins caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from quarterback C.J. Stroud as Houston took a 10-3 lead with 6:45 left in the first half and another 6-yard TD pass from Stroud with 11:02 left in the third quarter as the Texans went up 20-6.

Before Sunday, the fewest receiving yards in a two-touchdown game for a Texans receiver had been 20 on two receptions by Darren Fells in a 53-32 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Oct. 6, 2019.

Collins was among the 40 players from Alabama high schools and colleges (excluding Alabama and Auburn) who got on the field on the 15th Sunday of the NFL’s 105th season.

Nine other former state players were involved in the Miami-Houston game:

• Dolphins defensive tackle Shakel Brown (Troy) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
• Tank Dell (Alabama A&M) started at wide receiver for the Texans. Dell had two receptions for 26 yards, a 15-yard gain on a rushing attempt and 45 yards on three punt returns.
• Packers wide receiver Grant DuBose (Park Crossing, Miles) had one reception for minus-2 yards in his return after a nine-game absence because of a shoulder injury. But DuBose left Sunday’s game on a stretcher after taking a scary hit while trying to catch a pass. He was taken to a nearby hospital, and Miami announced DuBose had sustained a head injury.

RELATED: GRANT DUBOSE HOSPITALIZED AFTER SCARY HIT

• Dolphins defensive tackle Neil Farrell Jr. (Murphy) was designated as a game-day inactive.
• Tyreek Hill (West Alabama) started at wide receiver for the Dolphins. Hill had two receptions for 36 yards.
• Tytus Howard (Monroe County, Alabama State) started at left guard for the Texans. Because of an injury to Juice Scruggs, the regular left guard, Houston moved Howard from right tackle to handle the position against Miami.
• Kamari Lassiter (American Christian) started at cornerback for the Texans. Lassiter made six tackles.
• Dolphins cornerback Siran Neal (Eufaula, Jacksonville State) did not record any stats.
• Jimmie Ward (Davidson) started at safety for the Texans. Ward made nine tackles and broke up one pass.

In the other Sunday games:

Dallas Cowboys 30, Carolina Panthers 14

• Michael Jackson (Spain Park) started at cornerback for the Panthers. Jackson made three tackles.
• Panthers wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. (Saraland) did not record any stats in his first game for Carolina after being signed off the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad last week.
• Panthers tight end Jordan Matthews is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
• Jalen Tolbert (McGill-Toolen, South Alabama) started at wide receiver for the Cowboys. Tolbert caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Cooper Rush as Dallas took a 17-7 lead with 12:46 left in the third quarter. Tolbert has five TD receptions this season.

• Cowboys defensive end Sam Williams (Lee-Montgomery) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

Kansas City Chiefs 21, Cleveland Browns 7

• Mohamoud Diabate (Auburn High) started at linebacker for the Browns. Diabate made three tackles.
• Browns safety Chris Edmonds (Samford) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
• Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun (Samford) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
• Chiefs wide receiver Justyn Ross (Central-Phenix City) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
• Chiefs wide receiver Montrell Washington (Samford) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
• Browns linebacker Nathaniel Watson (Maplesville) made three tackles on special teams.
• Jameis Winston (Hueytown) started at quarterback for the Browns. Winston completed 16-of-25 passes for 146 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions. Kansas City sacked Winston five times. After Winston’s third interception, Dorian Thompson-Robinson ran Cleveland’s offense for the Browns’ final two possessions.
• Browns defensive end Alex Wright (Elba, UAB) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

New York Jets 32, Jacksonville Jaguars 25

• Jaguars defensive end DJ Coleman (Jacksonville State) made three tackles in his NFL debut. Jacksonville elevated Coleman from its practice squad to make him eligible to play.
• Josh Hines-Allen (Abbeville) started at defensive end for the Jaguars. Hines-Allen made two tackles.
• Quincy Williams (Wenonah) started at linebacker for the Jets. Williams made four tackles and broke up one pass.

Washington Commanders 20, New Orleans Saints 19

• Commanders safety Jeremy Reaves (South Alabama) made one tackle on special teams.
• Commanders offensive tackle Trent Scott (Lee-Huntsville) did not record any stats.

Baltimore Ravens 35, New York Giants 14

• Ravens wide receiver Malik Cunningham (Park Crossing) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
• Giants cornerback Cor’Dale Flott (Saraland) was designated as a game-day inactive. A quadriceps injury kept Flott out of the lineup.
• Giants offensive tackle Chris Hubbard (UAB) did not record any stats.
• Giants defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches (Central-Phenix City) was designated as a game-day inactive. Neck and shoulder injuries kept Nunez-Roches out of the lineup.
• Ravens nose tackle Michael Pierce (Daphne, Samford) made one tackle in his return from a five-game stay on injured reserve.  

Cincinnati Bengals 37, Tennessee Titans 27

• Titans offensive tackle Chandler Brewer (Florence) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
• Bengals defensive end Cedric Johnson (Davidson) made one tackle.
• Bengals kicker Evan McPherson (Fort Payne) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
• Cam Taylor-Britt (Park Crossing) started at cornerback for the Bengals. Taylor-Britt made six tackles and intercepted one pass. Taylor-Britt intercepted Tennessee quarterback Will Levis and returned it 28 yards to the Titans 23-yard line to set up a Cincinnati touchdown in the second quarter.

Arizona Cardinals 30, New England Patriots 17

• Patriots center Jake Andrews (Stanhope Elmore, Troy) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
• Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones (Enterprise, Troy) made six tackles, caught an 18-yard pass and returned a punt 6 yards.
• Cardinals wide receiver Tejhaun Palmer (UAB) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
• Patriots safety Dell Pettus (Sparkman, Troy) made one tackle.
• Starling Thomas V (Ramsay, UAB) started at cornerback for Arizona. Thomas made two tackles.

Denver Broncos 31, Indianapolis Colts 13

• Kris Abrams-Draine (Spanish Fort) started at cornerback for the Broncos. The rookie made three tackles and broke up one pass while making his first NFL start in his second game.
• Broncos inside linebacker Zach Cunningham (Pinson Valley) did not record any stats.
• Broncos cornerback Tremon Smith (Saks) did not record any stats.

Buffalo Bills 48, Detroit Lions 42

• Kwon Alexander (Oxford) started at linebacker for the Lions. Alexander made two tackles.
• Bills defensive tackle Tylan Grable (Jacksonville State) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
• Lions defensive tackle Brodric Martin (Northridge, North Alabama) was designated as a game-day inactive.
• Lions defensive end Za’Darius Smith (Greenville) made one tackle.
• Bills defensive end Javon Solomon (Troy) did not record any stats.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 40, Los Angeles Chargers 17

• Chargers running back Kimani Vidal (Troy) ran for 9 yards on three carries and caught two passes for 14 yards.

Philadelphia Eagles 27, Pittsburgh Steelers 13

• Reed Blankenship (West Limestone) started at safety for the Eagles. Blankenship made three tackles.
• Eagles fullback Khari Blasingame (Buckhorn) did not record any stats. Philadelphia elevated Blasingame from its practice squad to make him eligible to play.
• Eagles defensive back James Bradberry (Pleasant Grove, Samford) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
• Steelers cornerback Zyon Gilbert (Jeff Davis) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
• Eagles defensive end Bryce Huff (St. Paul’s Episcopal) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
• Steelers linebacker Jeremiah Moon (Hoover) made two tackles on special teams. 
• Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (Hoover) was designated as a game-day inactive. A hamstring injury kept Pickens out of the lineup.
• Steelers punter Corliss Waitman (South Alabama) averaged 43.0 yards on five punts with a 37.2-yard net.  Waitman had a 36-yard punt downed at the Philadelphia 30-yard line, a 47-yarder returned 2 yards to the Philadelphia 21, a 49-yarder that was fumbled after a 10-yard return and recovered by Pittsburgh at the Philadelphia 11, a 43-yarder returned 23 yards to the Pittsburgh 45 and a 40-yarder downed at the Philadelphia 6-yard line (and moved to the 3 because of an unnecessary-roughness penalty on the return).
• Steelers wide receiver Quez Watkins (Athens) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

Green Bay Packers 30, Seattle Seahawks 13

• Seahawks safety AJ Finley (St. Paul’s Episcopal) did not record any stats in his first game for Seattle. Finley was awarded to the Seahawks as a waiver claim on Nov. 26.
• Seahawks outside linebacker Jamie Sheriff (South Alabama) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
•  Packers offensive tackle Kadeem Telfort (UAB) did not record any stats.

Week 15 started on Thursday night, when the Los Angeles Rams defeated the San Francisco 49ers 12-6.

RELATED: UAB STANDOUT MAKES KEY PLAY IN RAMS’ VICTORY

Week 15 concludes on Monday, when the Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings square off at 7 p.m. CDT at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis and the Atlanta Falcons and the Las Vegas Raiders meet at 7:30 p.m. at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. ABC will televise the Bears-Vikings game, and ESPN will televise the Falcons-Raiders game.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.