T.Y. Hilton Giving Luck, Colts Passing Attack Balance with Big-Play Ability

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is quickly establishing himself as the NFL's most dominant young signal-caller.

He has led the Colts to the playoffs in each of his first two seasons and has Indianapolis out in front of the AFC South this season with a 6-3 record this season. He is leading an offense that entered Monday night's game ranked first in scoring (31.2 points per game), total offense (452.2 yards per game) and passing yards (336.5 yards per game).

Against the New York Giants on Monday, Luck (354 yards, four touchdowns) produced another superb performance that handed the Colts a 40-24 victory.

Yes, Mr. Luck can do it all, it seems. His vision and accuracy are reminiscent of the legendary Colts quarterback who came before him, yet he also possesses the strength and athleticism few bring to the quarterback position.

Yet, it is hard to imagine that even this third-year phenom would be able to perform at this high a level without such a talented supporting cast around him.

Luck benefits from a group of pass-catchers that is as good as any in the business today.

The two tight ends drafted alongside Luck—Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen—each have the ability to make big plays in the passing game, especially on underneath routes and in clutch possession situations. 

Wiley veteran Reggie Wayne may have lost a step in recent years, but his route-running ability is second to none. Wayne moved into the No. 8 spot on the NFL's all-time receiving yardage list, which is a major testament to his ability, longevity and experience. 

Luck also has the services of shifty receiver Hakeem Nicks and pass-catching running back Ahmad Bradshaw. 

The guy who makes each and every one of the aforementioned players (yes, even Luck) even better is T.Y. Hilton.

A former third-round draft pick, Hilton arrived at Indianapolis via the same draft that yielded Luck, Fleener and Allen. He established himself as a legitimate offensive weapon quickly and already looks to have taken the torch from Wayne as the Colts next premier pass-catcher.

Through his first two seasons, Hilton racked up 1,944 yards and 12 touchdowns. This season he has played on a whole different level.

Through nine weeks, Hilton has already amassed a 937 yards and three touchdowns. He has averaged an impressive 16.7 yards per reception and is on pace for a 1,665-yard season. He is currently ranked second overall among wide receivers by Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Only Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers is ranked better.

According to Pro Football Focus, Hilton is the third-most efficient receiver in the NFL when it comes to deep-passing plays (targets of 20 yards or more) with a catch rate of 53.3 percent.

That efficiency is why opposing defensive coordinators have to respect Hilton's ability to make the big downfield play. He is easily Indianapolis' biggest deep threat and is the reason why double-covering the likes of Wayne and Allen is virtually impossible.

However, it is the faith that Luck places in Hilton on these deep routes that really creates fear in opposing defenses.

We saw a prime example of this trust on Monday night, when Luck floated a pass into tight end-zone coverage, only to watch as Hilton wrestled the ball away from cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromatrie for a touchdown. There were three defenders in the area on the play, but they couldn't prevent another Luck-Hilton hookup.

The more plays Hilton makes deep downfield, the more opposing defenses are going to have to focus on defending the deep ball. This will lead to more favorable matchups for the rest of Indianapolis' pass-catchers (and perhaps some room for the seldom-utilized running game).

"Any time you face somebody with that skill set, it's extremely tough," Colts head coach Chuck Pagano said of Hilton a few weeks ago, via Zak Keefer of The Indianapolis Star. "We've got a lot of options, so it makes it difficult as a coordinator to make a decision."

Thanks to Luck's superb accuracy and incredible timing, the Colts can take advantage of these matchups and attack every level of the defense through the air.

Without Hilton's downfield presence, the Colts passing attack becomes easier to defend. With him, it is virtually impossible to shut down for the entirety of a game.

This is why Indianapolis owns the top-rated passing attack in a league featuring the Peyton Mannings and the Tom Bradys of the world. It is also a large reason why the Colts are sitting at 6-3 and in control of their division with seven games left to play.