In a near-perfect game from Brock Purdy, the San Francisco 49ers won the NFL’s Monday Night Football game with a 48-27 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
Purdy finished the game with 25 completions on 34 attempts for 295 yards. He had five touchdown passes. His only downside was the unimportant interception at his expense in the fourth quarter.
For his part, Philip Rivers does not have to be ashamed of his performance, in his second match since his return. The 44-year-old quarterback completed 23 of his 35 passes for 277 yards. Rivers threw two touchdown passes and had an interception returned for a touchdown.
This is San Francisco’s first victory against Indianapolis since November 25, 2001. The Niners (11-4) are fighting with the Seattle Seahawks (12-3) and the Los Angeles Rams (11-4) for the lead in the West division of the National. The Niners will close the season with duels against the Chicago Bears and these same Seahawks.
The Colts’ loss allowed the Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers to advance to the playoffs.
For its part, Indianapolis is not eliminated, but the American team from the South is making the task very difficult. With an 8-7 record, the Colts need a shot of luck if they hope to make the playoff dance. The Colts still started the season with a 7-1 record.
A defeat that hurts Indy
The Colts opened the scoring on their first possession. Capping a nine-play, 72-yard drive, Alec Pierce caught Rivers’ pass for a 20-yard touchdown.
The 49ers’ response came shortly later. On their first offensive attempt, too, the Niners took advantage of a 22-yard Purdy pass and Demarcus Robinson’s catch to tie the game 7-7.
Then, not to change a winning recipe, the Niners added to their point total, before the end of the first period. Joining Christian McCaffrey with a short pass, Purdy scored his second touchdown pass of the game to allow his team to take the lead.
Already the author of a major, Pierce increased his score for Indy after the break. This time thanks to a 16-yard pass from Rivers, the Colts wide receiver managed to double his number of touchdowns through the air this season – he had two before the game.
San Francisco, however, broke the tie on their sequence on the next attack. George Kittle caught Purdy’s 11-yard throw for his seventh touchdown of the season. This game also became the first of the season to see a touchdown in each of the first five offensive sequences.
Kittle, however, did not see action after the fourth quarter with an ankle injury.
The two teams then exchanged a field goal on each side before the end of the second quarter.
Returning from the locker room, Purdy continued his excellent match. Allowing Jauan Jennings to join in the fun, the Niners quarterback ran in with him from three yards out to give San Francisco a two-possession lead.
After two field goals again, Rivers added to his impressive performance by leading a 12-play, 65-yard drive, capped by Jonathan Taylor’s one-yard rushing touchdown.
Unfortunately for Indy, McCaffrey came back to attack later. On Purdy’s fifth touchdown pass of the game – a nine-yard pass – the San Francisco running back gave his team a 14-point lead.
Dee Winters then added a defensive touchdown, with the help of an interception at the expense of Rivers, which he brought back 74 yards further into the end zone.
