INDIANAPOLIS – As Andrew Luck exited the Colts locker room on Sunday afternoon he looked over to the media hoard around T.Y. Hilton's locker.
"Thanks, T.Y.," Luck shouted towards his fellow second year teammate.
It's safe to say Luck was speaking for not only himself, but the entire Colts nation in his appreciation for what Hilton did Sunday afternoon.
From Hilton's 73-yard touchdown to open up the Colts (4-1) scoring to his vital first-down conversions on the game-winning drive, Hilton was simply "just making plays".
"That's my role. I like to change games," Hilton, with his game ball behind him, said following the win.
"I like to have my impact on the game and that's what I did today."
Early on it looked like the Colts might be in for a long day at Lucas Oil Stadium.
With just over two minutes to go in the first quarter, the Colts were down 12-0 and the offense was in the midst of three straight three-and-outs to open up the game.
That all changed when Hilton got his first touch of the afternoon.
On a first-and-10 from the Colts 27-yard line, Hilton got free release off the line of scrimmage and got behind the Seahawks secondary.
Luck found Hilton along the Colts sideline and No. 13 sidestepped Seattle All-Pro safety Earl Thomas before trotting into the end zone for his first touchdown of 2013.
"I didn't see the ball until the crowd starting saying "oohh", Hilton said of his career long catch. "I looked up and it was coming so I ran it down and caught it."
"(Thomas) was over pursuing so I gave him a little "whoo" and took it to the house."
Of Hilton's five-catches and career-high 140 receiving yards on Sunday, four of those receptions resulted in first downs and he drew another two first downs on pass interference penalties.
Late in the third quarter, Hilton hauled in a 29-yard touchdown which gave him his seventh career 100-yard receiving game (tied for ninth in franchise history) in just 20 NFL games.
Trent Richardson played against Hilton in college and the new Colts running back credited Hilton's initial touchdown as the "spark" to the eventual victory.
"His speed, his knowledge of the game and just how professional he is at a young age is amazing," Richardson said of Hilton.
"This guy shows up every week and he's not backing down from anybody. He might not be the biggest guy on the field but he's showing up like he's 6'5", 230 (pounds)."
The Seattle secondary has four Pro Bowlers that consider themselves one of the most physical units in the NFL.
Coming into Sunday, the Seahawks had allowed just three receiving touchdowns all season and Hilton nearly equaled that mark himself.
"Pressing me is kind of disrespecting me," Hilton said following the 34-28 victory. "That means that you can play me bump and run and you can run with me."
"They found out today."
Almost a year ago to the day it was a Jerraud Powers interception that ignited a double-digit comeback victory at Lucas Oil Stadium.
On Sunday, it was Hilton's touchdown that started a comeback victory over the now one-loss Seahawks.
"We know how explosive T.Y. is and it was just a matter of us getting him the football and putting him in the position to make those kind of pays," head coach Chuck Pagano said.
"He's an electrifying guy and he's a touchdown maker, a game wrecker."
