Matt Hasselbeck was hospitalized overnight and needed IVs leading up to Colts win

Indianapolis quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was pretty darn impressive Thursday night, completing 18 of 29 passes for 213 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a passer rating of 107.4 in a 27-20 win over Houston.

But this goes way beyond mere stats. First of all, Hasselbeck is old. Real old. He’s 40, which is ancient for an NFL quarterback. He was making only his second start since 2012 -- the first was just four days earlier, leaving the old guy very little time to recover.

Then there’s his health. Hasselbeck was hospitalized overnight Tuesday with a bacterial infection, needed IVs of fluid all week (including twice on Thursday), and was only able to practice one day. And, yes, there was a lot of vomiting and other gross stuff involved.

“I honestly feel like this isn’t even real right now,” Hasselbeck said after the game.

Hours earlier, Hasselbeck did not look like a guy who was ready to play quarterback in an NFL game.

“He didn’t look good, man,” Colts offensive lineman Joe Reitz told the Indianapolis Star. “He was sitting there like a zombie.”

To kicker Adam Vinatieri, Hasselbeck “looked like warmed-over death.”

But starting quarterback Andrew Luck still couldn’t play with a sore throwing shoulder, and Hasselbeck was determined to fulfill his role as backup. I’m here for one reason,” Hasselbeck told quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen on Thursday morning.

So he gutted it out -- and in most impressive fashion.

“The grittiest performance I’ve seen in a long, long time,” Colts Coach Chuck Pagano said.

Luck added: “What a warrior.”