NFL Fantastic 5: Green Bay Packers, others head offense-heavy Week 4
By Shaun Church
T.Y. Hilton, Reggie Wayne torch Titans
Stat: Hilton, Wayne each have 6-plus receptions, 100-plus yards
It’s just the 14th time in franchise history two receivers have each caught at least six passes for 100-plus yards. The last to do it was the combination of Reggie Wayne and tight end Dwight Clark, back in 2008.
That duo did it twice in five days, in fact. How crazy is that? From Sunday, Dec. 14 to Thursday, Dec. 18, Wayne and Clark combined to haul in 34 receptions for 459 yards (13.50 yards per catch) and three touchdowns on the final two weeks of the regular season—both Indianapolis Colts victories.
Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans was a big one for the Colts. Lose, and they drop to 1-3 and third place in the weak AFC South. Win and they’d be tied for the division lead with the Texans.
Quarterback Andrew Luck had a day, completing 29 of 41 (70.73 percent) for 393 yards, four touchdowns and a pick for a 123.3 rating. The stat below from Football Outsiders’ Scott Kacsmar is amazing:
Surprising fact: Andrew Luck has just as many career games with 4 TD passes as Philip Rivers (5). Luck's had 4 in his last 10 games.
— Scott Kacsmar (@ScottKacsmar) September 29, 2014
Wayne and Hilton were open often against the Titans. Wayne grabbed seven Luck passes for 119 yards (17.00 YPC) and a touchdown while Hilton added six catches for 105 yards (17.50 YPC). Tennessee’s defense was lost in covering the two throughout the game, primarily on out-routes and digs. The perimeter and middle of the field were completely wide open to the two all game long.
It made Luck’s job really easy.