{"id":621219,"date":"2025-12-23T02:08:19","date_gmt":"2025-12-23T02:08:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/621219\/"},"modified":"2025-12-23T02:08:19","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T02:08:19","slug":"49ers-vs-colts-score-live-updates-philip-rivers-gets-another-start-in-week-16","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/621219\/","title":{"rendered":"49ers vs. Colts score, live updates: Philip Rivers gets another start in Week 16"},"content":{"rendered":"

Monday Night Football closes out Week 16 with a huge matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the Indianapolis Colts<\/a>. The Colts are fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive while the Niners, having already clinched a playoff berth<\/a>, are still vying for the potential No. 1 seed in the NFC.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

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\u2019s a tall order, but the Colts will need the recently unretired Philip Rivers to play some of the best football of his life<\/a> over the next few weeks.<\/p>\n

49ers-Colts start time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Location: Lucas Oil Stadium | Indianapolis, IN
TV channel, live stream: ESPN, ABC, NFL+<\/p>\n

Follow along with Yahoo Sports for live updates, highlights and more as the 49ers take on the Colts to close out Week 16:<\/p>\n

Live13 updatesMon, December 22, 2025 at 5:13 PM PST<\/p>\n

Kate Magdziuk<\/p>\n

\"JasonMon, December 22, 2025 at 6:02 PM PST<\/p>\n

Jason Owens<\/p>\n

The limits are off. Philip Rivers is throwing the ball downfield and leading touchdown drives.<\/p>\n

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 \u201cMonday Night Football\u201d lights.<\/p>\n

In two possessions, Rivers is 10 of 15 for 137 yards with 2 touchdowns. What\u2019s he been doing these past 5 years?<\/p>\n

\"JasonMon, December 22, 2025 at 5:57 PM PST<\/p>\n

Jason Owens<\/p>\n

This is truly remarkable.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The Colts have opened up the playbook, and Rivers is 9 of 13 for 121 yards with a touchdown through one quarter. He\u2019s already surpassed his passing total of 120 yards in last week\u2019s loss to the Seahawks.<\/p>\n

The Colts will face first down in the red zone on the other side of the first-quarter break, trailing 14-7.<\/p>\n

\"JasonMon, December 22, 2025 at 5:46 PM PST<\/p>\n

Jason Owens<\/p>\n

Just like that, the 49ers are on top. The 49ers converted Ameer Abdullah\u2019s fumble into a 26-yard drive that ended with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Brock Purdy to Christian McCaffrey.<\/p>\n

San Francisco takes a 14-7 lead with 4:33 remaining in the first quarter.<\/p>\n

\"JasonMon, December 22, 2025 at 5:42 PM PST<\/p>\n

Jason Owens<\/p>\n

Ameer Abdullah fumbled the kickoff return, and the 49ers recovered in Colts territory. San Francisco has an immediate chance to take the lead.<\/p>\n

\"JasonMon, December 22, 2025 at 5:38 PM PST<\/p>\n

Jason Owens<\/p>\n

Offense is the name of the game early. The 49ers responded to the Colts\u2019 opening touchdown drive with one of their own.<\/p>\n

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\u2019re tied at 7-7 with 7:14 remaining in the first quarter.<\/p>\n

\"JasonMon, December 22, 2025 at 5:30 PM PST<\/p>\n

Jason Owens<\/p>\n

This Colts offense is moving, and they\u2019re doing it through the air. They\u2019re up 7-0 after a 72-yard opening drive that ended with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Philip Rivers to Alec Pierce.<\/p>\n

Rivers was 5 of 7 on the drive for 73 yards and the score. That\u2019s a great start for a quarterback at any age.<\/p>\n

\"JasonMon, December 22, 2025 at 5:26 PM PST<\/p>\n

Jason Owens<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Backup Danny Pinter is in to anchor the offensive line and snap the ball to Rivers. A lot of moving parts for the Colts.<\/p>\n

\"JasonMon, December 22, 2025 at 5:22 PM PST<\/p>\n

Jason Owens<\/p>\n

So much for a conservative passing game with Philip Rivers.<\/p>\n

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\u2019ll see again tonight.<\/p>\n

\"JasonMon, December 22, 2025 at 5:17 PM PST<\/p>\n

Jason Owens<\/p>\n

The Colts won the coin toss and have elected to receive. They\u2019ll have the ball first with Philip Rivers at quarterback.<\/p>\n

\"KateMon, December 22, 2025 at 5:11 PM PST<\/p>\n

Kate Magdziuk<\/p>\n

49ers, Colts announce Week 16 inactives for Monday Night Football<\/p>\n

With the San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts set to kick off on \u201cMonday Night Football,\u201d each team has announced its Week 16 inactives.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a look:<\/p>\n

49ers inactivesColts inactives\"KateMon, December 22, 2025 at 5:07 PM PST<\/p>\n

Kate Magdziuk<\/p>\n

It\u2019s 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+.<\/p>\n

\"KateMon, December 22, 2025 at 5:05 PM PST<\/p>\n

Kate Magdziuk<\/p>\n

The San Francisco 49ers enter MNF with a (small) weight off their shoulders, having officially clinched a playoff spot thanks to the Lions\u2019 loss to the Steelers on Sunday<\/a>. There\u2019s still plenty to play for, though, as San Francisco remains in play for the No. 1 seed in the NFC thanks to Seattle\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

The Indianapolis Colts aren\u2019t 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<\/a> 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<\/a> since coming out of retirement.<\/p>\n

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%.<\/p>\n

The 49ers enter the matchup as 5.5-point road favorites over the Colts at BetMGM<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Monday Night Football closes out Week 16 with a huge matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":621220,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2059],"tags":[2005,7,221,2004,392,2381,212,213,16166,1593,6,3725,1804,1161,252],"class_list":{"0":"post-621219","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-indianapolis-colts","8":"tag-colts","9":"tag-football","10":"tag-houston","11":"tag-indianapolis","12":"tag-indianapolis-colts","13":"tag-indianapoliscolts","14":"tag-jacksonville","15":"tag-jaguars","16":"tag-monday-night-football","17":"tag-nfc-west","18":"tag-nfl","19":"tag-philip-rivers","20":"tag-playoff-berth","21":"tag-san-francisco","22":"tag-san-francisco-49ers"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/115766448878504334","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/621219","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=621219"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/621219\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/621220"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=621219"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=621219"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=621219"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}