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. Colts injuries: T.Y. Hilton will make his return but Xavier Rhodes will miss Jaguars game
Nate Atkins
Indianapolis Star
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INDIANAPOLIS - The Indianapolis Colts will have their longest-tenured receiver back on Sunday.

T.Y. Hilton has cleared the league's concussion protocol and will start against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Only cornerback Xavier Rhodes (calf) has been ruled out for the game, though defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is questionable after missing practice with a back issue. Colts coach Frank Reich is hopeful his All-Pro defensive tackle can play, though he admitted that back injuries are unpredictable.

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For the Jaguars, only starting running back James Robinson is questionable with a heel issue. He's been limited in practice the past two days.

The 32-year-old Hilton, who has spent all 10 seasons with the franchise, missed the previous game with a brain injury. That's continued a difficult season in which he's only played two games and has been limited by neck surgery and a quad injury in addition to the concussion.




Hilton has just six catches for 96 yards this season. He has yet to find the end zone after scoring at least four touchdowns in every year he's played in the league. But he's rejoining the Colts at an opportune time as the running game has taken off. Behind Jonathan Taylor's emergence, the Colts are averaging 155 yards per game and 5.5 yards per carry over the past six contests.


"T.Y. is just a big playmaker, all over the field," Reich said. "He's so smart. He's so instinctive. He just has a knack and a feel. Not only does he have the speed to get deep but against zone coverages, and obviously this team plays a fair amount of zone. He just has a knack of finding the right spots."


Hilton admitted that this has been a difficult season, but he seemed rejuvenated on Friday as he wore Carson Wentz's No. 2 blue jersey at practice.

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"Mentally, it's been very tough," Hilton said. "I want to be out there with my teammates, but I had some unfortunate circumstances. I continue to pray about it. God don't make mistakes. It wasn't good for me to play in those games.

"Right now, I feel good. I feel good and I feel fresh."

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton has had a difficult season in which he's played just two games and caught only two passes.
Rhodes has fought through the past seven games with the calf injury that just won't completely heal, but the Colts have opted this week to give him some rest. Reich said the team has not yet discussed the possibility of injured reserve.

The Colts have struggled to defend the pass with Rhodes on the field, ranking 26th by Football Outsiders' DVOA opponent-weighted metric. Without him, they'll look to Isaiah Rodgers and Rock Ya-Sin as starting outside cornerbacks. Reich said it's also possible that T.J. Carrie could play in some capacity. Together, they'll take on the challenge of trying to fluster No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence.


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The Colts are coming off a 45-30 win over the New York Jets to move to 4-5. A win on Sunday would inch them toward the seventh and final playoff seed in a congested AFC.