The owners decided to field teams of replacement players to fulfill their obligation to the ticket holders and television networks. Hogeboom led the Colts replacement players to a 2-0 record before being injured in the second game. This injury was caused by veteran defensive end Marty Lyons flagrantly spearing him on a quarterback sneak play, breaking a rib in his back and puncturing a lung. Although the Colts lost the last strike game with a new quarterback, the victories in the previous contests were crucial in securing the franchise's first playoff berth in ten years.