What happened: Pittsburgh goes into Sunday's home date with the Bengals without Dowdle after the toe injury that left him day-to-day earlier in the week. Lew Nichols is in line for offensive snaps with Dowdle sidelined. Houston goes without Collins, sidelined by a hamstring injury after missing practice time this week.

Why it matters: Pittsburgh loses backfield depth for a Week 3 AFC North date. Houston loses its lead receiver, forcing a reshuffle in the passing game.

What to watch: Watch practice reports next week for both players' availability. Watch Nichols' workload Sunday and Houston's receiver rotation.