T.Y. Hilton Discusses Colts' Play-Calling, Lack of Deep Passes

The Indianapolis Colts are a far cry from having the electrifying passing offense they rode to three straight playoff appearances, and wide receiver T.Y. Hilton believes their lack of a vertical threat has been their pitfall this season.

Hilton thinks he and fellow receivers Donte Moncrief and Phillip Dorsett have been hindered by an offense committed to the short-passing game, per Mike Wells of ESPN.com on Tuesday:

"

Donte, me, Phil, we're fast guys and we're not going down the field like how we're supposed to be. Running stick routes, chain routes. We can we do that, but at some point you have to take your shot and get the defense going back. The throws have been there, but we haven't been calling them. More play calling.

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The Colts rank 23rd with 43 passes of 20 or more yards and 27th in passes of 40-plus yards. Last year, they ranked first and were tied for second in those respective categories, and they led the league in passing at 305.9 yards per game. 

Their early-season struggles reached a breaking point that eventually led to offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton’s firing.   

Per Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star, Hilton elaborated that the short-game attack has prevented the Colts from building yards after the catch, a major struggle for the team this year. 

The Colts offense has been forced to adjust with Matt Hasselbeck under center for the injured Andrew Luck, and the 40-year-old backup simply doesn’t possess the arm strength or vertical accuracy compared to Luck, who’s considered among the league’s best.

Hilton added that the passing struggles have had a direct effect on the running game, per Holder.

“Once we start taking shots, it will loosen up the run game and the passing game,” Hilton said. “Instead of it being five, six, seven (defenders) in the box, it’s all 11. They’re just waiting.”

At an undersized 5’9” for his position, Hilton has burgeoned into one of the league’s top receivers because of his ability to create breakaway separation down the field. 

Despite Indianapolis' struggles this year, the stats still show the 26-year-old is in line to reach the marks he set over the past two seasons when he became the Colts’ top target. From 2012-2013, Hilton averaged 1,214 yards and six touchdowns on 82 catches, and this year he’s at 61 catches for 1,016 yards and five scores.  

Mike Chappell of Fox 59 also showed that Hilton joined elite company among iconic Indy receivers, an impressive feat given the team’s passing success during the lengthy tenure with Peyton Manning under center:

At 6-8, one game back in the AFC South with two to play, the Colts could miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2011 season, when Manning was injured. That would be a massive disappointment given they were the offseason favorite to win the AFC, per Odds Shark.