Frank Reich Noticing, Utilizing “Elite Route Running” Of T.Y. Hilton
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INDIANAPOLIS – Frank Reich had seen the big play ability from afar.
He knew T.Y. Hilton was a burner, who thrived on big plays in reaching 4 Pro Bowls in his first 6 NFL seasons.
Reich learned more about Hilton in early sit-downs with Andrew Luck, expanding the head coach’s view on one of the more productive receivers in the NFL.
“I probably fell into this trap when I first got here that you think T.Y. is the speed guy,” Reich now admits. “He’s the guy that can get over the top, and what you learn after being around him is this guy is an elite route runner. I mean, he’s an elite route runner. He has instincts and Andrew told me that right from the start. ‘Frank, he does some unorthodox things in his route running, but I’m just telling you you’re going to learn to trust him like I’ve learned to trust him. He has this unique ability to understand leverage and spacing.’ This was Andrew speaking, ‘I’ve just learned to trust him, I have a feel for him and you are going to see it.’
“And he was exactly right.”
In case anyone needed a reminder, the entire NFL has seen it from Hilton over the past month.
Against Buffalo and Oakland in late October, Hilton had just 5 total catches for 59 yards, despite the offense putting up 79 points in those victories.
Hilton’s return from a two-game absence due to a hamstring injury didn’t lead to immediate results.
That has changed in the past 5 games.
Since the Colts’ bye week, Hilton has had receiving games of: 77 yards, 155 yards, 125 yards, 77 yards and 199 yards.
For just the second time in Hilton’s career, and only the 4th time in franchise history, the Colts have had a player with at least 5 straight games of more than 75 yards receiving.
His catch rate during this stretch is north of 70 percent, a high number for a player with so much big play potential.
The Colts have effectively moved Hilton around more in 2018, and he currently has the highest catch rate of his career (63.3 percent), while his yards per reception (15.9) are a bit down—two elements that were expected in this offense.
Earlier this week, offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni compared Hilton’s route running to the Chargers’ Keenan Allen, who Sirianni and Reich coached from 2013-15.
As Indianapolis faced its most critical game of the season this past Sunday, there was Hilton doing what big-time players do.
This stretch, and Hilton’s performance on Sunday in his home away from home of Houston, has reconfirmed how great of a talent the Colts have at the No. 1 receiver position.
“We needed it,” Andrew Luck accurately said of Hilton’s huge afternoon against the Texans.
“T.Y. does some things very special. He does somethings that not many other people can do. So we saw some opportunities through film that we thought we could take advantage of. Once we got that first one, it was like, ‘Okay, yeah here we go, let’s get it.’ When T.Y.’s in the zone, he’s in the zone, man. It’s fun to play with him. It’s an honor to play with him, and I sincerely mean that.”
