NFL
NFL Week 16
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The San Francisco 49ers have beaten the Indianapolis Colts 48-27 on “Monday Night Football” behind Brock Purdy’s career-high five touchdown passes.
Christian McCaffrey racked up 146 total scrimmage yards and caught two touchdowns, while George Kittle made seven receptions for 115 yards and a TD before leaving the game with an ankle injury.
Philip Rivers played well in his second game since coming out of retirement at the age of 44, throwing for 277 yards and two touchdowns along with one interception.
The 49ers improve to 11-4 with their fifth straight win and stay alive in the race for the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC. The Colts fall to 8-7 with their fifth straight loss and face extremely long odds to make the playoffs.
Indianapolis' loss clinches playoff berths for the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Share your reaction to the game with us at live@theathletic.com and be sure to check out The Athletic's live coverage schedule for this week.
The NFC West is a gauntlet. The Cardinals would agree at least. The Seahawks, 49ers and Rams are all playoff bound
The only thing that could stop George Kittle tonight was the ankle injury he suffered in the third quarter.
The star tight end was dicing up the Colts defense, accumulating 115 yards and a touchdown on seven catches before rolling his ankle. He had his helmet on in the fourth quarter which gives the impression that he could have returned to the game if necessary but his status for next week will require monitoring.
Kittle now has four touchdowns in his last five games and has totaled at least 67 yards receiving in each of those games.
Christian McCaffrey does not have the same burst he once did but he remains one of the most dynamic, versatile running backs in the NFL and maybe ever. Tonight was a prime example, accumulating 146 scrimmage yards on 27 touches to go with two receiving scores. McCaffrey rushed for 21 yards on 117 carries, having one of his most efficient games of the season. He also had his longest run of the year tonight, breaking off a 24-yarder in the second half.
Through the air, he caught six passes for 29 and two touchdowns, both of which came on routes ran out of the backfield where he is a mismatch for opposing linebackers. After an injury-plagued 2024 season, McCaffrey bounced back with a special season as he approaches 2,000 scrimmage yards.
The Jaguars have clinched a playoff berth. The Texans inch closer to the postseason, too. The Colts don't have any more room for error. They need to win out and hope Houston loses out to stand a chance of qualifying.
Have a night, Brock Purdy! In fact, have a career night.
San Francisco's quarterback balled out on "Monday Night Football" completing 25-of-34 passes for 295 yards with five touchdowns and a late interception. He completed passes to eight different pass catchers and threw touchdowns to Christian McCaffrey (2), George Kittle, Jauan Jennings and Demarcus Robinson. Over his last three games, Purdy has thrown nine touchdowns and just one interception, continuing to find form after missing a large chunk of the season with turf toe.
While his aggressiveness can lead to turnovers at times, Purdy's confidence to push the ball down the field and the raport he has with his pass catchers with Kyle Shanahan at the helm makes this team mighty dangerous.
With the Colts loss to the 49ers, the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars have all clinched playoff spots in the AFC.
49ers WR Kendrick Bourne entered tonight needing just 1 receiving yard to earn a $500K bonus. He secured that in the first half tonight, finishing the game with three catches for 27 yards.
Here are your views on the 49ers win over the Colts in Indianapolis:
First downs
Total yards
Passing
Rushing
Penalties
Turnovers
Time of possession
Brock Purdy – 25-of-34, 295 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT
Christian McCaffrey – 21 carries for 117 yards; 6 catches for 29 yards, 2 TD
George Kittle – 7 catches for 115 yards, 1 TD
Demarcus Robinson – 2 catch for 23 yards, 1 TD
Jauan Jennings – 5 catches, 71 yards, 1 TD
Kendrick Bourne – 3 catches for 27 yards
Philip Rivers – 23-of-35, 277 yards and 2 TDs, 1 INT
Jonathan Taylor – 16 carries for 46 yards, 1 TD; 3 catches for 33 yards
Alec Pierce – 4 catches for 86 yards, 2 TDs
Josh Downs – 5 catches for 65 yards
Final – 49ers 48, Colts 27
Riley Leonard cannot connect with Coleman Owen on fourth down and that will do it.
Mac Jones takes a couple of knees as the final seconds tick off the clock.
San Francisco is now 11-4 as Indianapolis falls to 8-7.
Q4 2:00 – 49ers 48, Colts 27
Both teams seem ready for this game to be over at the two-minute warning.
Indianapolis will face fourth-and-1 after the break.
Q4 3:22 – 49ers 48, Colts 27
Shane Steichen has waved the white flag, pulling Philip Rivers and Jonathan Taylor.
Riley Leonard is in at quarterback.
Q4 3:26- 49ers 48, Colts 27
Philip Rivers returns the favor!
He tried to squeeze a pass to Tyler Warren but Dee Winters had other ideas, picking it off and taking it 74 yards to the crib.
Q4 4:47- 49ers 41, Colts 27
A rare mistake by Brock Purdy today, sailing a pass over the head on Kendrick Bourne and straight to Cam Bynum for the interception.
Indianapolis will get a chance to mount an unlikely comeback as a result.
With six catches today, Christian McCaffrey is now tied with Roger Craig for most receptions in a season by a 49ers running back. Both have 92.
If the Colts end up losing, they’ll need to win out and the Texans lose out to have a chance to make the playoffs.
The tiebreaker would come down to strength of victory — or strength of schedule potentially — and the outcomes are wild!
With that latest touchdown from San Francisco, the Colts have now conceded more points (41) tonight than they have allowed in any game all season. The 49ers have piled up 433 yards of offense so far. That ranks as only Indy's fourth-worst performance of the year.
