Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey have big night against Colts

INDIANAPOLIS – San Francisco 49ers'Long wait for Monday night's game against Indianapolis Colts it became much easier when Pittsburgh Steelers confused Detroit Lions on Sunday night to complete the Niners' NFC playoff berth.

Lest the Niners look content to simply punch their ticket to the dance, they trampled the Colts on Monday with much more important goals in mind. At 11-4 and with the assistance Seattle Seahawks'victory over Los Angeles Rams Entering Thursday night, the 49ers now have a direct line to the NFC's top seed.

This path requires little explanation: If the 49ers win their next two games, home contests against Chicago Bears and the Seahawks to complete the NFC West division and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

What's more, Super Bowl LX will be played at Levi's Stadium, so if the Niners can finish in first place, they won't have to get on a plane again this season.

Of course, the Niners will face a much tougher test against the Bears and Seahawks than they did against Indianapolis. But if the offense can recover and keep going – the Niners haven't scored in more than 133 minutes of playing time – they have a chance to be in an ideal position heading into the postseason.

Here's what both teams need to know after the 49ers beat the Colts on Monday night:

Turning point: In a game that seemed destined for a shootout with the first two drives, the Niners, who had the ball second, scored their first of the night midway through the first quarter to take the lead.

With 7:14 left in the first quarter, the Colts' returner Amir Abdullah received the kickoff and broke inside, securing the Niners. G'Air Brown remained under control and was redirected to Abdullah. Brown reached out and knocked the ball, and the tight end Jake Tonjes recovered in Indianapolis by 26. Five plays later, the Niners scored again to take a 14–7 lead.

What to do with QB performance: 'Monday Night Football' Wasn't Kind to the Quarterback Brock Purdyas he threw five touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his five appearances in this game.

But Purdy shrugged off those concerns against the Colts' depleted secondary, posting his first career five-touchdown game. He is the first Niner quarterback to score five scores in MNF, and the team's first player to score five or more touchdowns in a regular season or playoff game since Steve Young in Super Bowl XXIX against the Chargers.

Purdy finished 25 of 34 for 295 yards with one interception.

Most amazing performance: The 49ers offense has struggled to gain momentum all season, and Monday didn't seem like the right time for a change against a Colts defense that ranked second in yards per carry allowed (3.8).

But San Francisco's offensive line was up to the task at running back. Christian McCaffrey enjoying his second best result of the season. The Niners finished with 145 yards on 31 carries.

McCaffrey, who gained 117 yards on 21 carries, topped the 1,000-yard mark for the season, doing so for the fifth time in his career. — Nick Waggoner

Next game: vs. Chicago Bears (8:20 pm ET Sunday)

---

The Colts' high hopes at the start of this season were largely dashed. Indianapolis was on the verge of being eliminated from the playoffs after Monday night's loss; His playoff chances are now pegged at 2%, according to ESPN Analytics.

The Colts acquired the 44-year-old quarterback. Philip Rivers to help deter their crime after Daniel JonesAchilles injury late in the season. But it turns out other aspects of the team can't keep up with Rivers under center. While Rivers held his ground, the Colts' defense turned in its worst performance of the season. Indianapolis is left wondering what another offseason might look like.

Biggest hole in the game plan: The Colts opted to use a four-man pass, often leaving their inexperienced and superior defenders in man coverage against the 49ers' receivers. It worked as well as you'd expect, with Purdy tearing apart the secondary for five touchdowns. The combination of a limited passing game and inconsistent coverage allowed the 49ers to run the ball at will.

What to do with QB performance: To say Rivers played last week in his first game in five years would be an understatement. But he opened up the game in a big way Monday night, pushing the ball further downfield after averaging just 4.4 yards per attempt in the previous game. Rivers completed 23 of 35 passes for 277 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Trend to watch: The Colts have had some terrible late-season busts in recent seasons, and this year is shaping up to be one of the worst. After an 8-2 start to 2025 and a back-and-forth between title contenders, Indianapolis has lost five straight and appears destined to miss the playoffs again.

This continues a trend of late-season opportunities in 2021, 2023 and 2024, where the Colts made it to the postseason in late December but failed to make the playoffs in each case. This year's shortcomings have largely been due to injuries, but the trend is tiresome nonetheless. — Stephen Holder

Next game: against. Jacksonville Jaguars (1:00 pm ET Sunday)