The San Francisco 49ers completely dismantle the Indianapolis Colts in the Monday Night Game. Brock Purdy excelled with five touchdowns, while Philip Rivers received no help from the Colts’ running game.
Led by outstanding quarterback Brock Purdy, the San Francisco 49ers celebrated a sweeping win over the Indianapolis Colts. In the Monday Night Game of Week 16, the Niners won 48:27 in Indianapolis and with eleven wins still have a chance of becoming the number 1 seed in the NFC.
The Colts, on the other hand, are almost out of the playoff race after their fifth loss in a row. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Los Angeles Chargers have secured their ticket to the postseason thanks to the 49ers’ victory. The Colts and the Houston Texans are fighting for the final wild card spot in the AFC.
The game on Monday evening was a Brock Purdy show from the start, the playmaker served five passing touchdowns for the first time in his career. The last 49ers playmaker to do this was the legendary Joe Montana 35 years ago.
Brock Purdy makes 49ers history
“It’s an honor to be able to play for this organization with guys like Joe Montana and Steve Young and to wear the same jersey on the field,” said Purdy, who had already secured a place in the playoffs with his team before the game, to “ESPN”: “I’m just a boy living his dream.”
Because of this historic performance, his only interception of the evening late in the game had little impact. His counterpart Philip Rivers didn’t show a bad performance in the second appearance after his comeback, but didn’t get any support from the running game.
Indianapolis only managed 58 rushing yards on 20 running attempts – despite a touchdown from Jonathan Taylor, not enough to pose any real problems for the Niners’ defense. Rivers threw two touchdowns, both to wide receiver Alec Pierce. But the 44-year-old also had a pick six in the final phase.
McCaffrey excels once again
The most noticeable player on the Californians’ side was once again Christian McCaffrey, who caught two of Purdy’s five touchdown passes. The running back also ran for 117 yards on the ground. Also strong: tight end George Kittle, who contributed 115 yards and a touchdown to the win.
With the win, San Francisco overtook the Los Angeles Rams and took second place in the NFC West, one win short of the leaders Seattle Seahawks. A tough program awaits the Niners at the end of the regular season. First up next week is at home against the Chicago Bears, and on the last day of the game we go to Seattle for the possible final for first place in the NFC.
The Colts, on the other hand, need two wins against the Jaguars and at the end in Houston and also have to hope that the Texans lose at the Chargers next game day. Only then can the Colts get into the playoffs.
