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Colts pulled amazing double fake punt move against Texans

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Rex Villas | Last updated Jan 5, 2026 10:25 AM ET

Having nothing to play for in their 2025 NFL regular-season finale, the Indianapolis Colts got a little more audacious — and creative.

During a first-period drive against the Houston Texans on Sunday at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, the Colts called on their punt team for what appeared to be a punt on 4th-and-5.

But they apparently had other plans, as punter Rigoberto Sanchez lived a little bit of his quarterback dreams and tossed a dime to veteran tight end Mo Alie-Cox instead of punting the ball. That caught the Texans by surprise, as Alie-Cox grabbed the ball for a 16-yard gain, giving the Colts a fresh set of downs.

But the trickery did not stop there for Indianapolis, as the Colts let Sanchez and the rest of the punt team on the field for the first down. That decision caused some confusion on the Texans’ side, resulting in a penalty for Houston for having too many men on the field.

You can watch how the chaos unfolded here:

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 Colts didn’t waste their chicanery on that drive, as they capped it off with a 50-yard field goal by kicker Blake Grupe, giving them a four-point lead, 10-6.

Unfortunately for Indianapolis, they did not have enough tricks in the bag to prevent a 38-30 loss to Houston.

Indianapolis ended its 2025 campaign on a seven-game losing skid and an 8-9 record.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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