The Indianapolis Colts are bringing a new quarterback under center in the form of Philip Rivers hoping he can revitalize the passing offense after a down year in 2019. Among those benefitting the most will be wide receiver T.Y. Hilton.
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Even though there will be plenty of mouths to feed in the passing game, it will all go through Hilton. He’s dealt with injuries over the last two seasons, but he is still capable of leading the wide receiver room and as long as he stays healthy, should be able to carry the unit.
Gil Brandt of NFL.com listed Rivers and Hilton as the 10th-best quarterback and wide receiver combo in the league entering 2020.
10) Philip Rivers and T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts: Rivers and Hilton are both coming off a down 2019. Hampered by injury and inconsistent quarterback play, Hilton barely topped 500 receiving yards, while Rivers got as close as he ever has to a 1:1 TD-to-INT ratio (23:20). But from 2012 to ’18, Hilton was the NFL’s most productive receiver on a per-catch basis (15.97 yards per reception). Rivers, meanwhile, ranked third in yards per attempt (8.5) just one season ago. With the Colts’ stout offensive line in front of Rivers, it’s not unrealistic for this pair to rediscover their mojo together in Indy.
Hilton suffered a down year in 2019. He was dealing with injuries throughout the campaign from a groin issue early on to a lingering calf injury that severely limited him down the stretch. The play of Jacoby Brissett certainly didn’t help his chances of returning to form.
With Rivers taking over, though, there is a lot of hope that the passing offense will find its groove again. This is especially true given the fact that Rivers prefers to target downfield much more than Brissett did.
It will be interesting to see the improvements of the offense with Rivers leading the way, but he and Hilton should be just fine.