T.Y. Hilton has emerged as one of the best young receivers in football. His partnership with Andrew Luck could one day put him on even footing with Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne in Colts lore.
That's what made Sunday's hiccups against the Bengals so surprising. Hilton had three drops in the game, including one that likely cost Indianapolis a touchdown in the first half. Hilton still finished with six receptions for 103 yards, but the third-year pro knows he delivered a flawed effort.
"It was just the little things, not looking the ball in after the catch," Hilton said, according to Mike Wells of ESPN.com. "Basically, I was just trying to make plays and it kind of hurt me."
Hilton has had some issues with drops in his playoff career. According to Wells, Hilton has been targeted 53 times in four playoff games since 2012, the third-most in football behind Michael Crabtree and Anquan Boldin. He has six drops among those targets, the most in football over that span.
We're not about to paint this as a major issue for the Colts. Hilton is the real deal and Luck will continue to look his way with great frequency, including this weekend against the Broncos. Just something to keep in mind in a game that could turn into a shootout.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast previews the Divisional Round and ranks the eight remaining quarterbacks in the playoffs. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
