Horseshoe Heroes
FanSided

Colts Have NFL’s 13th Best Set of Triplets

By Luke Schultheis

Oct 25, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) high fives wide receiver T.Y. Hilton (13) when he comes back to the huddle during a game against the New Orleans Saints at Lucas Oil Stadium. New Orleans defeats Indianapolis 27-21. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 25, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) high fives wide receiver T.Y. Hilton (13) when he comes back to the huddle during a game against the New Orleans Saints at Lucas Oil Stadium. New Orleans defeats Indianapolis 27-21. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, the Indianapolis Colts have the NFL’s 13th best set of triplets with Andrew Luck, T.Y. Hilton, and Frank Gore:

"13. Indianapolis ColtsQB Andrew Luck, RB Frank Gore, WR T.Y. HiltonHere’s where it’s important to look past last year. The duo of Luck and Hilton would have been ranked in the top 10 and approaching the top five this time last year. Things have changed a bit, with Luck struggling through an injury-scarred 2015 after managing to stay upright through a staggering number of hits in previous seasons. But it’s unlikely that the talent of young players like Luck and Hilton has suddenly disappeared. If anything, there’s more reason to be concerned about Gore, 33, who stayed healthy but seemed to lose much of his burst and finished 42nd in success rate without many big plays to compensate."

While the Colts were notorious for having one of the NFL’s 1st set of triplets with Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, and Edgerrin James (later Reggie Wayne) in their franchise’s storied history, the next generation has shown promise with Luck and Hilton at the helm for the foreseeable future.

Nov 8, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) celebrates with running back Frank Gore (23) after the game against the Denver Broncos at Lucas Oil Stadium. Indianapolis defeats Denver 27-24. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 8, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) celebrates with running back Frank Gore (23) after the game against the Denver Broncos at Lucas Oil Stadium. Indianapolis defeats Denver 27-24. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

That being said, the Colts current set of “triplets” are all coming off somewhat down seasons respectively.

Luck threw for just 15 touchdowns to 12 interceptions and a career low passer rating of 74.9, having battled and missed 9 games due to injury.

Meanwhile, Hilton’s production suffered in Luck’s absence. While he made a consecutive Pro Bowl, Hilton caught 69 receptions for 1,124 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns–all of which were down from a season prior. Luck’s backups–namely Matt Hasselbeck were unable to throw the deep ball to the same degree as #12, which limited Hilton’s usual down-the-field effectiveness.

Last, but not least, Gore failed to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards for the first time since 2010 and suffered the lowest yards per carry average (3.7) of his entire 11-year career. Through no fault of his own, Gore made the most of a bad situation–running hard behind a porous Colts offensive line.

Nevertheless, there’s some reason for optimism this upcoming season regarding the Colts current set of triplets. Having a healthy Luck will certainly help matters all-around, but so will an upgraded offensive line with the addition of 1st round rookie center Ryan Kelly among others.

Simply put, each triplet should be due for a bounceback season.

Home/Colts News