AFC Notes: Dylan Horton, Michael Pittman Jr., Colts, Texans, Titans

Colts

Colts WR Michael Pittman Jr. loomed large in the team’s victory over the Titans despite dealing with a painful back injury and was still able to get the job done with backup QB Joe Flacco.

“He’s got to be one of the toughest players I’ve played with,” Flacco said, via the team website. “When you have guys like that, you can go a long way. That’s the kind of guy you need to play winning football. And he’s unbelievable for that.”

Colts HC Shane Steichen added that Pittman’s ability to play through the injury is a huge morale booster, yet Pittman shrugged off the comment, as he is focused on maximizing opportunities in order to win more games.

“(He’s) the toughest guy I’ve ever been around,” Steichen commented. “It’s huge. This league is a tough, physical league and he shows that. It’s great for guys in the locker room to see that, that he battles through stuff. He’s just a warrior.”

“I wouldn’t give myself that much credit,” Pittman responded. “I’m just gonna keep showing up and whatever opportunities come, try to make the most of them, just go out there and try to help us win.”

Texans

Texans DE Dylan Horton was activated from the team’s non-football illness list after now in remission from Stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He was glad to be back on the field in Week 5’s game against the Bills. 

“I played football, and it was fun,” Horton said, via Aaron Wilson. “I had a great time, especially out there with my friends, my teammates, running around, making the plays we wanted to make and we needed to make as a defense.”

Horton is grateful for the support he’s received from his friends, family, and teammates. 

“I feel like it’s easy to reciprocate coming up the facility where everybody is positive,” Horton said. “It’s easy to reciprocate that energy and it’s always easy to spread positivity when it’s around you. I had my family, my friends around while I was going through everything. Especially coming to the facility, just having that routine, having those people around me who believed in me and just loving me.”

Texans HC DeMeco Ryans thinks Horton played well in his return and “set the edge really well.”

“Exciting to see Dylan, he stepped in, he set the edge really well,” Ryans said. “He got after the quarterback. Dylan did a really nice job. I keep saying an awesome story, but he is an awesome young man and he is a pleasure to work with, pleasure to be around, such a great spirit.”

Titans

Titans OC Nick Holz praised wide receivers DeAndre Hopkins and Calvin Ridley for their performance and patience so far this season.

“Credit to those guys after Miami,” Holz said, via TitansWire.com. “There was no complaining, they were the happiest two guys in the world. And there’s a lot of teams and there’s a lot of cultures where those guys would be not happy the team won, but, you know, kinda happy their team won but they would be more upset that they didn’t get their touches and get their targets and things like that. So, credit to those guys for kind of seeing what’s going on and we’re trying to get it to them.”