TY Hilton’s emergence could be what powers Colts to playoffs

TY Hilton has been coming on in a big way for the Colts over the last month.

All that TY Hilton slander you’ve been hearing since the middle of last season is hopefully about to look silly. The Indianapolis Colts are taking a 24-20 lead into halftime against the Houston Texans and the veteran wideout is a big reason why after hauling in seven catches for 100 yards and a touchdown.

That’s hands down his best game of the season so far and he’s made it all happen in the first 30 minutes of today’s game. Hilton does own the Texans to an embarrassing extent, but the manner in which he’s played over the last year and a half has largely been uninspiring.

Now, he’s put together four straight games in which he’s contributed in a solid manner. Though he only hauled in four catches for 40 yards against the Titans back in Week 9 and then just three for 36 against the Packers in Week 10, some of those grabs were key in terms of extending drives and breathing life into the offense.

On top of that, the Colts have been spreading the ball around generously with all the weapons they have on offense, so Hilton really isn’t going to garner a majority of the targets on a weekly basis. As long as he’s making plays and stepping up when he needs to, that’s all the Colts need. And that’s what he’s doing.

If Hilton continues to come on in a big way down the stretch, that could define the Colts’ playoff seeding and success. This wide receiving corps has badly needed a reliable veteran to haul in clutch catches and keep drives alive, which is what the team was hoping to get from Hilton these past couple of seasons as they begin to build the roster.

However, his play from the start of 2019 up until Week 9 of this year just spurred more chatter about this no doubt being his last season in Indy. He’s in a contract year and the Colts don’t have a reason to extend him when they’re looking to spend their plentiful cap space elsewhere.

Whether it’s his last year or not, Hilton’s late-season emergence could make for a special postseason run as long as the Colts can keep up the consistent and impactful play. At the very least, it’ll put the team in a good position heading into the playoffs, and Colts fans will surely take that.

Colts QB Philip Rivers’ toe injury should worry fans amid playoff push

Indianapolis Colts QB Philip Rivers will likely need surgery on his foot in the offseason. Could that affect his performance for the rest of the way?