Even though Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton has never gone up against New England Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis, he told Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star that he’s looking forward to the match up.
I would imagine that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick will have Revis covering Hilton for the entire game. That would allow Brandon Browner to match up with veteran Reggie Wayne, since I believe Browner would struggle a lot more against a deep threat like Hilton.
Oct 26, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton (13) catches a twenty eight yard touchdown pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter at Heinz Field. The Steelers won 51-34. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Another reason I can’t imagine Revis guarding anyone but Hilton is that he’s Andrew Luck’s favorite target. Luck has thrown the ball 79 times to Hilton this season. Reggie Wayne has had the ball come his way 67 times and Hakeem Nicks has been targeted 42 times.
Revis has played pretty well this season. Opposing quarterbacks have an average rating of 73 when throwing the ball his way. He’s also given up only one touchdown and has 2 interceptions this season.
The key for Hilton will be getting off the line. A cornerback like Revis flourishes when he’s able to make contact as soon as the ball is snapped and jam the receiver in order to get him off his route.
Revis not only has the skill set to hang with a player like Hilton, he’s also bigger and stronger. Hilton will have to use his speed and quickness if he wants to get a clean break off the line.
Hlton has had an unbelievable season so far in 2014. If he didn’t play for a small market team like the Colts, he would get a lot more attention, but that’s not the case. He’s currently third in the NFL with 937 receiving yards and and tied for seventh in the league with 56 receptions. It’s amazing how quickly he’s turned into Indy’s number one receiver since being drafted just a few years ago in the third round out of Florida International.