INDIANAPOLIS — Frank Reich has quite a few offensive weapons to consider when formulating his gameplans each week, but perhaps none of them are quite as fun as T.Y. Hilton.
Hilton brings so much to the table from a playmaker's perspective, with the speed to burn even the fastest of corners down the sideline, but also the elite shiftiness and quickness to break off his routes and make plays anywhere on the field.
And with creative minds like Reich and offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni running the show, perhaps it would come as no surprise that the 28-year-old Hilton, with 12 receptions and two touchdowns, is off to the best two-game start of his career.
"You know what? I think T.Y. has really stepped up not only on the field, but as a leader as well," Reich told "Colts Roundtable Live" host Matt Taylor Monday night on 1070 The Fan. "I really think he's playing inspired football."
Hilton, who had five receptions for 46 yards and a touchdown in the Colts' Week 1 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, was a huge thorn in the side of the Washington Redskins' defense on Sunday at FedExField, catching seven passes for 83 yards, including a game-sealing three-yard score in the fourth quarter, leading to a 21-9 victory.
Hilton is coming off a season that, by his standards, wasn't good enough, despite the fact he was selected to his fourth Pro Bowl. With Andrew Luck out for the season as he recovered from shoulder surgery, Hilton tried to forge a connection with a brand new quarterback in Jacoby Brissett, and caught 57 passes for 966 yards and four touchdowns.
But with Luck back in the mix to start training camp this year, it didn't take long at all for him to rediscover his special connection with Hilton once again, as the two carved up the Colts' defense almost on a daily basis.
That has carried through to the regular season, as Hilton has been targeted on 26.5 of Luck's throws so far through two games, which is by far the most on the team; no other player is even at 20 percent.
"(It's) just repetition," Hilton said after Sunday's game. "We're constantly getting better week in and week out. Trusting one another and we're just going out there and having fun."
And, yeah, Hilton is off to a great start, but could he be on the verge of a monster performance? The Colts take on the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field, and Hilton has averaged six receptions for 125 yards in his last four Week 3 performances.
The Eagles (1-1) are also coming off a 27-21 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in which they allowed DeSean Jackson, the Bucs' top vertical threat, to catch four passes for 129 yards and a touchdown.
No doubt Reich and his staff have already studied that film and are hoping to do the same with their own electric playmaker.
"We love putting together a gameplan every week and thinking about how we're gonna get him the ball, when you've got a player with his talent," Reich said. "And he's a clutch player, so just love, love having the opportunity to gameplan for T.Y."
