T.Y. Hilton Fitting Frank Reich’s Scheme Perfectly, Adding Dangerous Verticality

Colts HC Frank Reich and OC Nick Sirianni have reportedly been thrilled with how well T.Y. Hilton has fit into their “quicker-strike” offense thus far.  The star wideout is doing his part, reportedly “buying all in” and “giving his all,” while both coaches add more deep-ball concepts this “West Coast” attack.

My earlier worries about Hilton’s “scheme fit” seem likely to wind up obsolete. For one, Sirianni and Reich are installing plenty of vertical, “chunk-play” concepts into the offense to fit their top talent, with beat writers noting: “As was evidenced from watching practices in the spring, that deep ball, which Hilton has excelled with, isn’t going to be extinct.” In fact, Sirianni believes the quicker-strike attack should help Hilton shake free down the field more easily. “‘As you emphasize the quicker throws, the deeper ones come,’ Sirianni says. ‘If you look at Frank (Reich) and I’s past together, our teams have been high in completion percentage, but they’ve also been high in plus-20 yard gains, plus-16 yard gains. So those plays still come… the defensive back is thinking, ‘Shoot, he can get behind me.’ So it softens him up for those plus-16 yards. It really is no secret, it’s speed.'” Off the field, Hilton has worked out harder than ever before while cutting fast food completely out of his life (making him 1 of 100,000 players currently “in the best shape of (his) life.”) He’s “immersed” himself in the new offense, and, according to Sirianni, “he is hungry to learn and he’s obsessed with getting better.” Hilton faces minimal competition for targets, and has topped 1,300 yards in his past two seasons with Andrew Luck. Expect a return to WR1 status, at a late third round price.

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  • Founder of Roto Street Journal. Lover of workhorse backs, target hog wideouts, and Game of Thrones. Aspiring to be the "Brady" and "Leo" of the fantasy universe.

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