Colts run back-to-back fake punts, including one on first down vs. Texans

Indianapolis kept its punt unit on the field after converting a fourth-down fake, drawing a penalty that led to points

By John Breech

Jan 4, 2026 at 3:45 pm ET • 1 min read

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The Indianapolis Colts have made some bizarre fake punt calls over the years, and they added to that lore with an interesting decision Sunday against the Texans.

During the first quarter, the Colts called for a fake punt on back-to-back plays, including one that came on first down. On the surface, it sounds like an absolutely crazy decision, but it actually made some sense.

The first fake punt came on a fourth-and-5 from Indy's own 25-yard line. Rigoberto Sanchez took the snap and, instead of punting, lofted a perfect pass to Mo Alie-Cox for a 16-yard gain. After picking up the first down, the Colts hustled to the line and ran ANOTHER fake punt.

The Texans were in the process of subbing their regular defense back onto the field and weren't ready for the second fake, resulting in a penalty for having too many players on the field.

The Colts had a successful fake punt and then they LEFT that unit on the field for 1st down and caused even more chaos 😂 pic.twitter.com/gNyRQ18MTk
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 4, 2026

The drive ended with the Colts kicking a field goal, so the 21 yards gained on the two fake punt plays ended up working out well for Indianapolis.

The fact that the Colts ran a fake punt on first down was almost fitting, because if there's one team that knows a thing or two about bizarre fake punts, it's definitely them. Back in 2015, the Colts ran what was arguably the most ill-conceived fake punt in the history of the NFL.