Hilton makes self at home
Receiver adds to NRG successes with 199 yards, including 60 on momentum changer
T.Y. Hilton changes backpacks every two weeks. He wore a “Back to the Future” one to NRG Stadium on Sunday.
He explained why after falling one stride short of 200 yards on nine catches in his latest evisceration of Houston, a 24-21 win for the Colts (7-6) that snapped the nine-game winning streak of the Texans (9-4).
“I had to go back to my old ways, man,” he said. “I needed a T.Y. Hilton performance against the Texans.”
It did not matter that the Texans had seven years of matchup history, six days of preparing and a 10-week winning stretch to inspire confidence. They could not prevent Hilton from exacting torture on the franchise.
In 14 games against Houston, Hilton has caught 76 passes for 1,445 yards and nine touchdowns. He has notched a 100-plus-yard day half of the time.
“This is my second home,” he said with a grin.
A wacky 1980s comedy inspired Hilton, but the Texans might learn from a horror film how to thwart the haunting wide receiver: “The Exorcist.”
He averages 122.3 receiving yards per game at NRG Stadium, more than Andre Johnson (88.4), Drew Bennett (81.6) and DeAndre Hopkins (72.7).
“Any time you can do that on a defense that you see twice a year is big,” Colts wide receiver Chester Rogers said.
Hilton did not have to score Sunday to dispense another nightmare. With the Texans ahead 7-0 in the second quarter, quarterback Andrew Luck nailed Hilton with a 60-yard pass as part of the no-huddle jolt to the Colts’ stagnating offense.
“Once we got that first one, it was like, ‘OK, yeah, here we go. Let’s get it,’ ” Luck said.
Hilton proceeded to gas defenders, torch coverage and make NRG Stadium a tinderbox that set up Eric Ebron’s go-ahead and Zach Pascal’s put-away touchdowns.
“Him and Luck have great chemistry,” cornerback Jonathan Joseph said. “You see some of the balls he had. He didn’t have to break stride. Just came out, and the ball was right on him.”
Luck said that in film reviews during the week the Colts had identified matchups that favored Hilton’s “speed and his maneuverability.”
“We took advantage of them,” Hilton said.
Dealing with a shoulder injury that forced him to miss multiple practices, Hilton still had legs quicker than those of the 34-yearold Joseph and 30-year-old Shareece Wright, whom the Colts exploited on consecutive plays for their final, necessary scoring drive.
Luck extended a 34-yard rope to Hilton and lobbed a 12-yard touchdown to Zach Pascal.
“We felt like (Wright) was the weak one of the group,” Hilton said. “But at the end of the day, we liked our matchups with whoever.”
He also burned younger members of the secondary in Tyrann Mathieu and Justin Reid. The way Hilton outran, outreached and outmuscled the Texans made his performance look easy.
“It was tougher than it looked,” he said.
As was he.
He has battled injuries all season. Had he not gotten hurt and been forced to exit a game against Houston on Sept. 30, the Texans might not have edged out the Colts in overtime to catalyze their winning streak. On Sunday, the 510, 183-pound Hilton gritted through various pains to help keep Indianapolis’ playoff hopes alive.
“What impressed me most was him facing adversity and coming back from injury,” said Rogers.
Hilton limped to his locker after the game. He nearly had to drag his right leg to get to a chair. Slumped forward, he picked at the adhesive left from the wraps to his right shoulder.
He deflected multiple questions about his injuries. He forced a smile.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll be back out there.”