Texans' Robert Woods: Starts week with practice absence

Woods (foot) didn't participate in practice Wednesday.

Woods also missed some practice time with the same injury leading up to the Week 5 win over the Bills, but he managed to play through the concern and failed to draw a target on his 16 snaps on offense. Based on how the Texans deployed their wide receivers after Nico Collins (hamstring) exited the Week 5 contest, Xavier Hutchinson is more likely than Woods to join Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell in three-receiver sets Sunday against the Patriots. Collins was placed on injured reserve Wednesday and will miss at least four games, allowing Woods and each of the Texans' other receivers to move up a spot on the depth chart.