Texans say no clowning around with Hilton
The man who wore the scary clown mask would love to haunt the Texans’ defense once again.
Two weeks before Halloween and 10 months after T.Y. Hilton donned a Pennywise mask before torching the Texans in a playoff victory at NRG Stadium, the speedy Colts wide receiver hopes to turn Sunday’s game at Lucas Oil Stadium into another horror movie for the Texans’ secondary.
Hilton terrorized the Texans during a 21-7 AFC wild-card playoff game win, using the mask as a joke in response to how Texans veteran cornerback Johnathan Joseph said his trash-talking was for “clowns.”
Hilton caught 18 passes for 399 yards in three games against the Texans last season, including five catches for 85 yards in the playoff game. In 15 career games against the Texans, including the playoff game, Hilton has 80 catches for 1,505 yards and nine touchdowns.
The Texans’ strategy against Hilton is bound to change this time. They have to contain him better than they have in the past.
“Just limit the big plays, obviously,” Joseph said Thursday. “You can’t let him get over the top, get behind the coverage, can’t let him get the catch-andrun plays. Anything you can do to limit the big plays, you have to challenge him from that standpoint.”
A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Hilton has averaged five catches for 73 yards in seven home games against the Texans. That included four catches for 115 yards in a September overtime loss last season before he left the game with injuries.
“I just go out there and do my job, and I take what they give me,” Hilton told Indianapolis reporters. “And I just guess they give me a lot. If (the Texans don’t doubleteam me), it’s going to be a long day for them.”
Playing in a run-first offense transitioning to new starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett after Andrew Luck retired, Hilton remains an impact player. He has 24 receptions for 232 yards and four touchdowns. A year ago, he caught 76 passes for 1,270 yards and six touchdowns.
“Yeah, very challenging,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said. “He’s fast, great route runner, can come in and out of his breaks, understands how to attack leverage, has great experience. He’s seen all of the coverages that there are, so he knows how to get open. He’s got good chemistry with Jacoby, and I think he’s targeted quite a bit. It’s a challenge.”
Hilton’s average per reception is down from 16.7 yards last season to 9.7 yards per catch this year, but the Texans still respect how dangerous Hilton can be as a vertical threat.
“That’s going to be one of the focuses for the week,” Texans safety Justin Reid said. “He’s a talented guy. He’s had a lot of success against us in the past, so we’re going to change some things up to give him some different looks and play him a little bit differently than we did in the past in order to really take him out of the game plan to limit his exposure.”
The Texans have attempted every coverage scheme before against Hilton with poor results. That includes bracket coverage. The Colts are primarily a running team now with Marlon Mack leading the backfield, but that doesn’t mean Hilton won’t be heavily involved against his favorite foil.
“Well, if you don’t pay attention to him, he usually makes plays,” Texans defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel said. “So, you’ve got to do something to slow him down.”
Joseph’s hamstring is improving daily, and his improved health could be a huge factor in this game with Bradley Roby sidelined with a more serious hamstring strain.
Joseph missed a road win over the Kansas City Chiefs, but is angling toward returning Sunday and is relieved that his injury suffered last week in practice wasn’t more serious.
“Absolutely, I think a lot of times those things are tricky,” Joseph said. “So, anytime you come back to get positive news to where you’re day-to-day, I think that’s big-time news at this point of the season.”
The Texans are expected to utilize rookie corner Lonnie Johnson Jr. in press coverage against Hilton. Johnson is big, fast and strong at 6-2, 213 pounds with a 4.38 time in the 40-yard dash.
Between Joseph, Johnson and Phillip Gaines, the Texans will try to cobble together a strategy to prevent Hilton from breaking the game open.
“We just think the world of T.Y. Hilton,” Colts coach Frank Reich said in a conference call. “He is the consummate pro. He can do everything. He’s got elite speed, he’s a great route runner, he’s tough, he’s got great ball skills.
“I think he and (DeAndre) Hopkins, are alike in a lot of ways. They both have a great feel for the game. They just have different body types.”
The Texans are determined to get a different outcome this time after losing two of their past three games to their division rival, including the playoff loss in January after they won the AFC South title.
“One-hundred percent, it’s personal, but every game is personal,” Reid said. “That’s how I approach every game, especially after last season. They took us out of the playoffs, so it’s time to return the favor.”
There’s been no mention of Hilton reprising his Pennywise villain role out of Indianapolis this week, but the memory of that game still resonates.
“Ha ha, man, I ain’t looking forward to Halloween, not at all,” Joseph said when Pennywise’s name was broached. “No masks.”