Colts' Hilton takes blame for Texans loss: 'I let the team down'

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton didn't make the expected impact in his return from a three-game absence during Thursday's pivotal divisional clash against the Houston Texans.

Hilton hauled in just three catches for 18 yards in the Colts' 20-17 loss, and he shouldered the blame postgame.

"I let the team down," Hilton said, according to ESPN's Mike Wells. "Totally on me."

The 30-year-old had two significant third-down drops on back-to-back possessions in the second half.

"I have to make that," he said. "That's what I get paid for. I have to make them. One hundred percent on me."

Hilton played in 25 of 67 offensive snaps in his first appearance since Week 8. He had been battling with a calf injury suffered during practice.

"I give him credit for wanting to be on the field," head coach Frank Reich said. "We knew even if we could get him on the field for 20, 30 plays, some of it was just as a decoy so hopefully (the Texans) would roll the coverage to him or do something like that and give us a chance to run it a little bit better. So that was part of the plan."

Houston has been Hilton's favorite opponent over his eight-year career. The wideout's 85 catches, 1,537 receiving yards, and 10 touchdowns in 16 games against the division rivals are all personal bests against any opponent.

With the loss, the 6-5 Colts dropped to second in the AFC South, one game behind the 7-4 Texans.