49ers Light Up the Scoreboard, Outlast Colts in High-Octane Shootout
If there was ever a game that reminded us how potent the 49ers' offense can be-and how much they’ve had to lean on it lately-it was this one.
The San Francisco 49ers walked away with a 48-27 win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15, but this wasn’t a game dominated by defense. This was a shootout, pure and simple. And for long stretches, it felt like the only thing capable of slowing down either offense was the occasional penalty-or a rare defensive play that finally broke serve.
Let’s start with the Colts, who came out firing. After attempting just two deep shots the week before, Philip Rivers opened the game by launching a 45-yard bomb on the first play from scrimmage.
That aggressive tone set the stage for a sharp opening drive. The Colts attacked San Francisco’s man coverage, and Rivers' veteran savvy took over.
Jonathan Taylor found himself matched up with linebacker Tatum Bethune on third down-a mismatch Rivers didn’t miss. The result?
A quick 7-0 lead.
But the 49ers answered fast. Brock Purdy’s first throw looked risky, but George Kittle bailed him out with a spectacular grab over the middle for 26 yards.
Then came a steady dose of Christian McCaffrey, who picked up 17 yards on the next three plays. Demarcus Robinson capped the drive with a 22-yard touchdown catch.
Just like that, we were tied at 7.
Momentum swung again on the ensuing kickoff when Ji’Ayir Brown forced a fumble, giving the 49ers a short field. Purdy wasted no time. A 12-yard pass to Kittle, a quick McCaffrey run, and then a two-yard touchdown pass to the running back gave San Francisco a 14-7 lead.
But Colts head coach Shane Steichen had a few tricks of his own. He schemed up a look that left wide receiver Josh Downs isolated on edge rusher Bryce Huff.
That’s not a matchup you want if you're the defense. Rivers hit Downs in stride after connecting on passes of 11 and 17 yards earlier in the drive.
On 3rd and goal from the 16, Rivers found Alec Pierce in the end zone to tie it at 14. The Colts were matching the 49ers punch for punch.
San Francisco’s next drive had a few hiccups-back-to-back drops by Jauan Jennings and Kendrick Bourne-but Purdy used his legs to keep things alive, scrambling for nine yards and converting a 4th-and-1 sneak. That mobility, paired with the 49ers’ already elite offensive rhythm, gave them yet another edge. Kittle finished the drive with his second touchdown of the night, making it 21-14.
The 49ers’ defense finally made its first real stand, forcing a three-and-out. The offense responded by grinding out a clock-draining drive that ended in a field goal and a 24-14 lead.
The Colts caught a break late in the half when Darrell Luter was flagged for a questionable pass interference call on third down. Instead of punting with two timeouts and over a minute left, the Colts got a fresh set of downs and turned it into a field goal. That trimmed the lead to 24-17.
With just 17 seconds left in the half, the 49ers nearly stole three more points. Purdy hit Bourne for 14 yards, enough to trigger a $500,000 bonus for the receiver. Eddy Pineiro’s 64-yard attempt was right down the middle-but it clanged off the crossbar.
Coming out of halftime, the 49ers didn’t slow down. Kittle, Jennings, and Kittle again rattled off chunk plays, and Purdy delivered one of his best throws of the night-a layered pass to Jennings in the end zone that pushed the lead to 31-17.
The Colts answered, but this time had to settle for a field goal after a promising drive stalled. That made it 31-20, and for the first time, it felt like the 49ers had some breathing room.
Skyy Moore’s strong return helped flip the field again, and another Jennings reception moved the chains. The drive stalled, but Pineiro added another field goal to stretch the lead to 34-20.
Then came the injuries. Kittle limped off with an ankle injury and didn’t return.
Bethune also went down, opening the door for veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks to make his debut. The Colts capitalized.
Rivers avoided a blitz and found tight end Tyler Warren wide open, then took advantage of a defensive bust to set up a short-yardage score by Taylor. Suddenly, it was a one-possession game again at 34-27.
At this point, the 49ers had scored on every drive except for the missed 64-yard field goal. And with their defense depleted, they needed to keep scoring.
They did.
Jennings added another 17-yard gain, McCaffrey ripped off 24 yards on a 3rd-and-1, and then Purdy capped it all with his fifth touchdown pass of the night. Rolling right, he found McCaffrey in the end zone, who dragged his toes for the score. That made it 41-27, and put Purdy in elite company.
The Colts tried to mount another comeback, but Alfred Collins ended that quickly with a strip sack. That’s the kind of defensive play the 49ers have been missing all season-one that ends a drive instead of bending until the red zone.
Purdy’s only real misfire came on the next drive, a high pass that slipped through Bourne’s hands. But the defense had one more highlight in them.
Rookie linebacker Dee Winters read a route perfectly, jumped it, and took it 75 yards to the house. Ballgame.
48-27.
This game was a microcosm of who the 49ers are right now. The offense is humming-seven touchdowns on eight drives before the pick-six.
They went 7-for-11 on third down, punched it in on four of six red zone trips, and leaned on Purdy’s arm and McCaffrey’s versatility to carry the load. The defense?
Still a work in progress, but it showed flashes-just enough to tilt the game.
With the win, the 49ers move into the fifth seed in the NFC and still control their path to the No. 1 seed. And if the offense keeps playing like this, they’ll be a tough out for anyone in January.