Philip Rivers is a fun story. On Monday night, everyone seemed to rally around the tale of a 44-year-old who was coaching high school football coming back to the NFL for the first time since the 2020 season, and actually playing well against the San Francisco 49ers.
With all the hoopla for Rivers, you might not have realized the Colts didn’t win the game.
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The San Francisco 49ers are a pretty good story too. They have battled injuries all season, including season-ending ones to their two best defensive players in Nick Bosa and Fred Warner. Monday night’s 48-27 win improved their record to 11-4.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan has done a phenomenal job this season, and was excellent on Monday night calling an offense that picked apart the Colts and nullified Rivers’ surprisingly productive night. Brock Purdy wasn’t the quarterback everyone was talking about during the game but he was really good, throwing for five touchdowns.
The Colts’ loss clinched playoff spots for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC. The 49ers had already clinched their spot in the NFC, and the win keeps them alive for an NFC West championship and a shot at the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. That’s not exactly Rivers coming off his couch to captivate everyone on Monday night, but it’s remarkable in its own right.
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Philip Rivers had a good game. Brock Purdy had a GREAT game.
The main attraction Monday night was Rivers, and he delivered a throwback performance in his second start this season.
Rivers started the game by floating a pass — most of his passes float at age 44 — to Alec Pierce in the end zone for a 20-yard touchdown. That gave the Colts a 7-0 lead and everyone confidence in the passing game with Rivers running it.
Rivers didn’t slow down for the rest of the half. He finished the first two quarters 14-of-21 passing for 175 yards and two touchdowns. To put that in perspective, the most TDs over an entire season by a 44-year-old quarterback other than Tom Brady was five, by Vinny Testaverde in 2007. What Rivers was doing, after five years off, was amazing.
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The problem for the Colts wasn’t the quarterback, but that the opposing quarterback was lighting them up. Purdy was even better than Rivers. When he hit Jauan Jennings for a 3-yard touchdown early in the third quarter, it was already his fourth touchdown pass of the night. The 49ers led 31-17 at that point.
The story of the Colts’ season will ultimately be how they started 7-1 but quarterback injuries derailed them. That might be true, but there has been more to Indianapolis’ steep fall than that.
49ers take control, get a pick 6 on Philip Rivers
The Colts eventually faded Monday night after a good start, which sums up their season as a whole.
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Indianapolis has lost six of its past seven games after a dream start to the season. Daniel Jones was out for only two of those games. There have been many factors in the Colts’ unfortunate decline. Jonathan Taylor cooled off after a blistering start to the season. Injuries to key players like DeForest Buckner and Sauce Gardner affected the defense, which played well at Seattle in Week 16, has been a liability for most of the late-season swoon and couldn’t stop the 49ers on Monday night.
The Colts scored to cut San Francisco’s lead to 34-27 in the fourth quarter, but Shanahan and Purdy went right back to work. The 49ers went downfield and Purdy threw his fifth touchdown of the game, his second to McCaffrey, to restore a double-digit lead. The 49ers put it away on Rivers’ first big mistake of the night, an interception that went right to linebacker Dee Winters and was returned for a 74-yard touchdown.
The 49ers still have issues, such as a defense that gave up a lot of yards and points to a 44-year-old quarterback on Monday night. The offense can cover up a lot of those issues, especially if Purdy stays in a groove like the one he was in against the Colts.
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It says something about the 49ers’ front office and their coaching staff that they have 11 wins given all the injury adversity through the season. A division championship in a very tough NFC West along with the NFC’s No. 1 seed would be unfathomable, but the 49ers somehow still have a shot at it.
Live coverage is over32 updatesMon, December 22, 2025 at 5:13 PM PST
Kate Magdziuk
Jason Owens
And that’s final. The 49ers have run out the clock on a 48-27 win to take control of the path to No. 1 seed in the NFC with two weeks remaining. If they win next week against the Bears and again in Week 18 against the Seahawks, the No. 1 seed is theirs.
And their offense looks unstoppable. An impressive win that spoiled a strong night for Philip Rivers in his second game back from a five-season absence.
Jason Owens
Just as they’d found new life with a Brock Purdy interception, the Colts gave the ball right back.
After driving into 49ers territory, Philip Rivers threw a pass into traffic over the middle. Linebacker Dee Winters picked it off and returned it 74 yards for a 48-27 49ers lead that will ice the San Francisco win with 3:26 remaining.
The 49ers will come out of tonight’s game in control of the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. The Colts’ long-shot hopes of rallying for the postseason just got slimmer.
It was in impressive night for Philip Rivers, who threw for two touchdowns and led the Colts on another touchdown drive. But that’s a tough way to ice the game for the opposition.
Jason Owens
After five touchdowns, Brock Purdy just threw his first interception of the night with the 49ers in field goal position and a chance to extend their lead to three possessions.
Instead, the Colts have the ball back, down 41-27 with the clock under five minutes. That’s exactly the break they needed to give themselves a chance.
Jason Owens
Philip Rivers got off to a strong start, but San Francisco has taken control in the second half. The 49ers just forced the Colts to punt out of their own end zone and have the ball back in Indianapolis territory with a 41-27 lead and 6:20 remaining.
The Colts need a miracle to come back from this.
Jason Owens
Make that another Brock Purdy TD. Purdy’s fifth touchdown of the night was his second to Christian McCaffrey.
And it marked a new career high for the 49ers quarterback. San Francisco’s offense has carved of the Colts defense, and the 49ers are back up two scores at 41-27 with 7:37 remaining.
Jason Owens
Philip Rivers just went 6-for-6 including a 19-yard sideline throw to Tyler Warren to drive the Colts into the red zone. There, Jonathan Taylor capped off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown, and the Colts have cut the 49ers’ lead to 34-27 with 12:41 remaining in regulation, keeping the pressure on.
Jason Owens
George Kittle is limping on the 49ers sideline with an ankle injury. He’s officially questionable to return.
Kittle’s been big for the 49ers tonight with 115 yards and a touchdown.
Jason Owens
San Francisco’s lead is back up to two touchdowns. Their second drive of the half stalled out at the Indianapolis 19, and Eddy Pineiro kicked his second field goal of the night to extend the 49ers’ lead to 34-20.
Philip Rivers and the Colts need to find the end zone again to get back in this.
Jason Owens
The Colts answered the latest 49ers touchdown with a field goal and have cut their deficit to 31-20 with 8:16 remaining in the third quarter. They’re gonna have to pick up the pace against a San Francisco offense that’s been virtually unstoppable tonight.
Jason Owens
Jauan Jennings offered a gift up to a Colts fan after scoring a touchdown. Then he took it right back. Jennings here with the Grinch move of the NFL weekend to troll an unsuspecting fan.
Jason Owens
The 49ers opened the second half with a 64-yard touchdown drive and have extended their lead to 31-17. They did so with Brock Purdy’s fourth touchdown throw of the night to a fourth different receiver.
This time, it was Jauan Jennings with his first catch of the night in the end zone on third-and-goal.
Philip Rivers has been impressive. But this is a steep hill to climb for any quarterback.
Jason Owens
Yes. Yes she does. The renowned NBA halftime performer took her talents to Indianapolis for halftime of Monday’s game. Impressive.
Jason Owens
The Colts and 49ers have put on a show for the last “Monday Night Football” broadcast before Christmas. And Philip Rivers and Brock Purdy are dueling.
Rivers, in his second game back from a nearly 5-season NFL absence, appears to have full use of the playbook and is moving the offense with his arm. But Purdy’s moving the 49ers offense a little bit better thanks to big efforts from Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle.
Colts
Philip Rivers: 14 of 21 for 175 yards, 2 TDs, 0 turnovers
Jonathan Taylor: 7 carries for 24 yards; 3 catches for 33 yards
Alec Pierce: 3 catches for 53 yards, 2 TDs
Josh Downs: 5 catches for 65 yards
49ers
Brock Purdy: 13 of 17 for 165 yards, 3 TDs, 0 turnovers
Christian McCaffrey: 11 carries for 67 yards; 4 catches for 17 yards, 1 TD
George Kittle: 5 catches for 78 yards, 1 TD
Demarcus Robinson: 1 catch for 22 yards, 1 TD
Team offense:
Colts: 194 yards on 6.5 yards per play, 11 first downs
49ers: 250 yards on 7.6 yards per play, 16 first downs
Colts turnovers: 1
49ers turnovers: 0
Jason Owens
Eddy Piñeiro’s first miss of the season was an impressive effort.
With 3 seconds left before halftime, the 49ers gave Piñeiro a shot at a would-be career-long 64-yard field goal attempt. He kicked the ball dead center, but just short as it bounced off the cross bar and back into the field of play.
Before that kick, Piñeiro was 26 of 26 for the season on field-goal attempts. The 49ers take a 24-17 lead into halftime and will have the ball first in the third quarter.
Jason Owens
The 49ers appeared to have a third-down stop with 59 seconds remaining in the half and a chance to get the ball back. But officials called pass interference for this to give the Colts a first down.
Indianapolis drove into field-goal range from there and Blake Grupe connected from 39 yards to cut San Francisco’s lead to 24-17 with 17 seconds remaining in the half.
Jason Owens
The 49ers drove into the red zone again, but Brock Purdy’s pass to George Kittle in the end zone on third down fell incomplete. The 49ers kicked a field goal to extend their lead to 24-14 with 1:51 before halftime.
Up next, Philip Rivers in a 2-minute drill.
Jason Owens
In case you weren’t aware, Philip Rivers is a high school football coach when he’s not playing NFL football.
His St. Michael football team in Fairhope, Alabama is back home cheering on his remarkable start on “Monday Night Football.”
Jason Owens
The 49ers came up with the first stop of the game.
Philip Rivers found Michael Pittman on third-and-12, but the pass only picked up 10 yards, and the Colts have punted back to the 49ers. San Francisco leads 21-14 and has the ball midway through the second quarter.
Jason Owens
The 49ers and Colts are putting on a show. Brock Purdy just threw his third touchdown in three possessions, this time to tight end George Kittle.
Purdy rolled out to buy time then found Kittle in a tight window for an 11-yard connection. Christian McCaffrey and Demarcus Robinson have San Francisco’s other two touchdowns.
The 49ers lead, 21-14 early in the second quarter, and each possession for each team has ended in a touchdown with the exception of Ameer Abdullah’s fumble on a kickoff return.
Jason Owens
The limits are off. Philip Rivers is throwing the ball downfield and leading touchdown drives.
Rivers just found Alec Pierce for their second touchdown connection in two Colts possessions. This one was a 16-yard dart in a tight window to tie the game at 14-14. Rivers is putting on a show under the “Monday Night Football” lights.
In two possessions, Rivers is 10 of 15 for 137 yards with 2 touchdowns. What’s he been doing these past 5 years?