Getty Indianapolis Colts WR T.Y. Hilton
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton has no problem throwing punches right back after they come his way. The proof is in the pudding, and Hilton made sure his presence was felt ahead of the AFC wild-card playoff game against the Houston Texans. After cornerback Johnathan Joseph called Hilton a clown earlier this week, the wideout had a perfect response.
It came when the team arrived for the NFL playoff wild-card matchup between the Colts and Texans, as Hilton wore a clown mask while entering the building.
The whole situation stems from Hilton calling the Texans’ NRG Stadium a “second home” due to the fact that he’s posted some huge stat lines there. After the comment came to light, Joseph responded, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle revealed.
“Nah, man, that’s for clowns,” Joseph said. “That’s for TV. That’s what they do. You put something in their face, anybody can say it.”
Joseph wasn’t done defending his turf there either, as Wilson revealed that the cornerback pointed out that the AFC South could easily be called “our division” as a parting shot.
“Sounds good, it’s easily said,” Joseph said. “I could easily say that, too. We could call the division our division since I’ve been here, last five out of eight years. It’s not our first rodeo, so we’ll be ready.”
T.Y. Hilton’s Dominance in Houston
During the 2018 NFL regular season, Hilton made sure his dominance against the Texans at NRG Stadium stood true once again. He hauled in nine catches for 199 yards in the matchup. during a 24-21 win. For good measure, the 29-year-old wideout also racked up 115 yards against Houston in a home loss earlier in the year.
Even going back further, we’ve seen Hilton rip off 175 yards and two touchdowns on the road against the Texans last year and nine catches for 223 yards and one score in 2014. Finally, the Colts wideout scored three touchdowns with 121 yards during his second season in 2013.
As StatMuse shows, Hilton has averaged 103.2 yards per game with nine touchdowns and 76 total receptions over 14 matchups with the Texans. His numbers on the road against Houston have been even more superb, as he’s averaged 133.3 yards with 41 receptions and seven touchdowns over seven games.
It’s safe to say that Hilton has Houston’s number to some extent, but whether or not that proves to be true in a hostile road game is the big question. With a trip to the AFC’s divisional round on the line, there’s no question Andrew Luck could look to his top receiver early and often in this game.
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