Monday Night Football closes out Week 16 with a huge matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts are fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive while the Niners, having already clinched a playoff berth, are still vying for the potential No. 1 seed in the NFC.
San Francisco (10-4) is currently sitting in sixth place in the NFC and third in the NFC West, but can gain ground in both races with a win over Indy. A loss would make the path to a division title that much more difficult.
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The Colts (8-6) are on the outside looking in after spending much of the season leading the AFC South. Currently in eighth place in the conference, the Colts have a tough road, ending the season with San Francisco, Jacksonville and Houston. Indianapolis needs to help itself by winning, but it will also need a little help and also need the Texans or Jaguars to stumble a bit over the last three weeks of the season. It’s a tall order, but the Colts will need the recently unretired Philip Rivers to play some of the best football of his life over the next few weeks.
49ers-Colts start time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Location: Lucas Oil Stadium | Indianapolis, IN
TV channel, live stream: ESPN, ABC, NFL+
Follow along with Yahoo Sports for live updates, highlights and more as the 49ers take on the Colts to close out Week 16:
Live13 updatesMon, December 22, 2025 at 5:13 PM PST
Kate Magdziuk
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?
Jason Owens
This is truly remarkable.
Philip Rivers and the Indianapolis offense were clearly limited in his first game back in the NFL last week. But he looks in mid-career form tonight against the 49ers.
The Colts have opened up the playbook, and Rivers is 9 of 13 for 121 yards with a touchdown through one quarter. He’s already surpassed his passing total of 120 yards in last week’s loss to the Seahawks.
The Colts will face first down in the red zone on the other side of the first-quarter break, trailing 14-7.
Jason Owens
Just like that, the 49ers are on top. The 49ers converted Ameer Abdullah’s fumble into a 26-yard drive that ended with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Brock Purdy to Christian McCaffrey.
San Francisco takes a 14-7 lead with 4:33 remaining in the first quarter.
Jason Owens
Ameer Abdullah fumbled the kickoff return, and the 49ers recovered in Colts territory. San Francisco has an immediate chance to take the lead.
Jason Owens
Offense is the name of the game early. The 49ers responded to the Colts’ opening touchdown drive with one of their own.
George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey moved the ball down the field. Then Brock Purdy found Demarcus Robinson for a 22-yard touchdown strike to cap a 69-yard drive. We’re tied at 7-7 with 7:14 remaining in the first quarter.
Jason Owens
This Colts offense is moving, and they’re doing it through the air. They’re up 7-0 after a 72-yard opening drive that ended with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Philip Rivers to Alec Pierce.
Rivers was 5 of 7 on the drive for 73 yards and the score. That’s a great start for a quarterback at any age.
Jason Owens
Philip Rivers will now be takings snaps from a new center. Starter Tanor Bortolini went into the injury tent after the second play from scrimmage to be evaluated for a concussion.
Backup Danny Pinter is in to anchor the offensive line and snap the ball to Rivers. A lot of moving parts for the Colts.
Jason Owens
So much for a conservative passing game with Philip Rivers.
Rivers threw a deep ball targeting Michael Pittman on the first play from scrimmage. But the pass was short and fell incomplete. Wonder how many of these we’ll see again tonight.
Jason Owens
The Colts won the coin toss and have elected to receive. They’ll have the ball first with Philip Rivers at quarterback.
Kate Magdziuk
49ers, Colts announce Week 16 inactives for Monday Night Football
With the San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts set to kick off on “Monday Night Football,” each team has announced its Week 16 inactives.
Here’s a look:
49ers inactivesColts inactives
Kate Magdziuk
It’s about that time to get those TVs set! The San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts kick off live from Lucas Oil Stadium at 8:15 p.m. ET, airing on ESPN, ABC and NFL+.
Kate Magdziuk
The San Francisco 49ers enter MNF with a (small) weight off their shoulders, having officially clinched a playoff spot thanks to the Lions’ loss to the Steelers on Sunday. There’s still plenty to play for, though, as San Francisco remains in play for the No. 1 seed in the NFC thanks to Seattle’s defeat of Los Angeles this week. The Niners now have full control of their own destiny toward that No. 1 seed; it is theirs if they win out for the remainder of the season.
The Indianapolis Colts aren’t so lucky, however, currently sitting outside of the playoff picture at 8-6. After a hot start to the 2025 season with Daniel Jones, winning seven of their first nine games, the Colts have struggled since their bye, currently on a four-game losing streak. Compounding the struggles is the loss of Jones at quarterback, who ruptured his Achilles tendon in Week 14 and is out for the season. The season now sits in the hands of 44-year-old Philip Rivers, who will make his second start for the Colts since coming out of retirement.
Even with a win on MNF, the Colts would have just an 11% chance to make the playoffs, per NFL Next Gen Stats; with a loss, their chances drop to 3%.
The 49ers enter the matchup as 5.5-point road favorites over the Colts at BetMGM.