Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton injured his knee against the Buffalo Bills Sunday, and he could miss one to two games, according to NFL.com reporter Ian Rapoport.
The Colts had a rough start to their season on Sunday, losing in Buffalo 27-14. Bills new head coach Rex Ryan was likely a factor, but few expected the Colts offense to play this lackluster on Sunday. The Colts will likely need to rebound fast, as field positioning for the playoffs can only be a matter of games, but based on how the Colts played Sunday they should just focus on their next game and not the playoffs.
The Colts go back home to play another AFC East team in the New York Jets. The Jets are also a defense-heavy team with a ton of talent. Quarterback Andrew Luck and the Colts will have to play much better this weekend if they want to get a win. Losing star receiver T.Y. Hilton doesn't help their chances, though.
Hilton had 88 yards receiving on seven catches on Sunday but is likely to be out against the Jets this week. Last season Hilton was a lighting rod in the league, catching 82 balls for 1,345 yards. He also has scored 19 touchdowns in his first three years in the league.
Luck and the Colts will look to other receivers to step up in Hilton's absence. Players like Donte Moncrief, Phillip Dorsett and Andre Johnson will need to play much better next week if the Colts want to pull out a win. Johnson was one of the Colts' big pickups this offseason, and in his first game he fell flat, catching four passes for 24 yards. Johnson will have to play much better for the rest of the season, as the Colts were likely expecting big productivity from him.
The tight ends will also need to have a bigger role for the Colts. Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen combined for four catches, and that is not enough production from their tight end position. While Hilton is reportedly only going to miss one to two games, the Colts will still need to turn things around, as they can find themselves in a hole quickly if they play like they did on Sunday.