The Colts’ two fake punts in a row is straight out of Madden, and it actually worked

It’s Week 18 of the NFL season, and the Indianapolis Colts are mathematically eliminated. The Colts got off to a hot start to become the most pleasant surprise of the early season as running back Jonathan Taylor garnered MVP buzz, but everything that has happened since has been a disaster: there was Daniel Jones’ season-ending injury, a bold trade for Sauce Gardner that completely backfired, and the failed experiment of pulling Phillip Rivers out of retirement.

With nothing left to play for, the Colts decided to have a little fun in their season finale vs. the Houston Texans, and it resulted in a sequence that feels more suited for a video game than real life.

On 4th-and-5 during the first quarter, the Colts ran a fake punt that worked to perfection, with punter Rigoberto Sanchez throwing a Mo Alie-Cox for 16 yards and a first down. That’s just the start. Watch the play here:

The fake punt worked so well that the Colts decided to run it again. That’s right: Indianapolis ran a fake punt on first down.

The Colts kept their punt team on the field and ran a direct snap to the upback. It caught the Texans off-guard and resulted in a “too many men on the field” penalty, resulting in a free five yards.

As a lifelong Madden player, I’ve definitely run consecutive fake punts before when I get bored. I can’t say I’ve ever seen that in a real NFL game, though.

The Colts are breaking all the rules this year — trading two first-round picks for a cornerback, bringing a 44-year-old QB on the brink of the Hall of Fame out of retirement, and now running consecutive fake punts. This wasn’t the season Indianapolis hoped for, but at least it wasn’t boring.