INDIANAPOLIS – The Colts/Jets Week Two matchup was still seven days away but T.Y. Hilton wanted to make sure they knew.
Hilton's knee injury has the Pro Bowler's status for Monday night in question (Chuck Pagano did say on Monday that he's optimistic Hilton will be playing come Monday).
So earlier this week, the game-breaking receiver needed to let the Colts younger receivers know that if he can't go this week, his confidence level in them is a 10/10.
"They're ready to go," Hilton said earlier this week. "I'm very confident in them."
The confidence level of rookie Phillip Dorsett could have easily been shaken coming out of his professional debut.
Dorsett muffed two punts on Sunday in Buffalo, the second of which ended any last-ditch comeback effort from the Colts.
Whether it was immediately following the Week One loss in Buffalo, or a day later back in Indianapolis, Dorsett wasn't baiting on any excuses for the mishandled punts.
"I just took my eye off the ball," was the consistent answer from the Colts 2015 first-round pick.
Come Monday night, Dorsett could very well get quite the chance to put Week One well in the past.
Dorsett's playing time in Buffalo increased significantly when Hilton left the game late in the third quarter.
The rookie finished Sunday with two catches for 45 yards, and if Dorsett is called upon again on Monday, he has the backing of his head coach.
"He doesn't have a choice," Pagano said of the Colts needing Dorsett to emerge if Hilton is held out. "We've seen enough in OTAs, the offseason program, Training Camp. You guys saw the playmaking ability. Now, he's just got to go do it.
"He's got to trust himself and play with confidence and an air about him and go out and make plays. He's more than capable, and he'll do that."
Of course, Dorsett isn't the only Colt who will have to take on more of an offensive responsibility, if Hilton is absent on Monday.
From Andre Johnson, to Donte Moncrief and even Griff Whalen, the entire Colts wide receiver group will be tasked in trying to win matchups versus a Jets secondary that feasted in Week One.
Taking away Andrew Luck's No. 1 target will not make life any easier for the Colts quarterback.
Luck's been in this position before and knows instances that could arise Monday night is why you get together in the offseason with the entire pass catching options.
"It puts pressure on everybody to step up and do more, any time anybody goes out," Luck says.
"Hopefully (Hilton) plays, but who knows. Whoever is out there, I know they'll do a great job. That's the way this team is built and that's all I've experienced in my three years here before this. Guys go play."
