The Indianapolis Colts are off to a rough start to the 2018 season, dropping three out of their first four games played to set up a crucial Week 5 matchup on Thursday night against the New England Patriots. The Colts go into that contest without the services of former Pro Bowl wide receiver T.Y. Hilton due to injury.
On Wednesday, Hilton was officially declared out, according to Field Yates of ESPN.
The Colts have ruled out WR T.Y. Hilton for Thursday's game against the Patriots.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) October 3, 2018
Despite the Colts' slow start out of the gate, Hilton has been off to a strong start to the year with 21 catches for 294 receiving yards and two touchdowns through the first four games. He is on pace for 84 catches for 1,176 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Hilton is coming off his best performance of the season, recording four catches for a season-high 115 receiving yards against the Houston Texans last Sunday.
His absence from the lineup further compounds potential problems in the passing game for star quarterback Andrew Luck, as tight end Jack Doyle is already out of the mix due to a hip injury. Offseason addition wideout Ryan Grant could step in as the primary receiving target, as he has 18 catches on 23 targets for 188 receiving yards and touchdown. Meanwhile, tight end Eric Ebron could also factor into the equation, as he has proven to be a strong asset in the passing game at times throughout his career, as he has 17 receptions for 150 receiving yards and a team-best three touchdowns.
Luck will have his work cut out for him as the Patriots rank ninth in the league against the pass this season. New England is also fifth with just 6.8 yards per attempt allowed and 11th with a 62.9 percent completion rate for opposing quarterbacks. Luck is coming off his best outing of the year where he torched the Texans' secondary for 464 passing yards and four touchdowns while holding a 108.5 passer rating.
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