The San Francisco 49ers looked every bit the contender they’re aiming to be on Sunday, cruising past the Tennessee Titans with a 37-24 win that was never really in doubt. The offense came out firing, scoring on its first five possessions - something we haven’t seen from this group since 2021. That kind of early dominance set the tone, and the Titans simply couldn’t keep pace.
At the heart of it all was Brock Purdy, who turned in his sharpest outing of the season. The second-year quarterback was locked in from the jump, completing nearly 77 percent of his passes for 295 yards and three touchdowns.
He didn’t turn the ball over once and added 44 yards on the ground, showing off the kind of poise and versatility that’s turned him into one of the more compelling young passers in the league. His 140.3 passer rating was a season high - and it felt every bit as good as the number suggests.
Christian McCaffrey did what Christian McCaffrey does, leading the way on the ground with 79 yards and a touchdown. The Niners as a team racked up 138 rushing yards - just the second time in the last five games they’ve cracked the 100-yard mark. That’s an encouraging sign for a team that thrives when it can keep defenses guessing with a balanced attack.
But for all the fireworks on offense, the defensive side of the ball didn’t quite match the same level of execution. The 49ers gave up 306 total yards to a Titans offense that has struggled to move the ball consistently this season.
More concerning? They allowed 136 rushing yards to a Tennessee team that entered the game ranked 30th in the league in rushing - averaging just 88.6 yards per game.
That’s a red flag, especially with a Monday night showdown against the Indianapolis Colts looming. And more specifically, against Jonathan Taylor - the NFL’s leading rusher.
Here’s where things get tricky. The 49ers aren’t bad against the run - they rank 12th in the league, allowing 106.1 rushing yards per game.
But that number doesn’t tell the full story. When Fred Warner was in the lineup, the defense was allowing just 82.2 yards per game on the ground.
Since Warner went down with a season-ending ankle injury? That number has ballooned to 115.8 yards per game.
That’s a significant swing, and it's not hard to see the impact of losing a four-time All-Pro linebacker who does so much in terms of diagnosing plays, filling gaps, and bringing leadership to the front seven.
Now comes the real test: stopping a Colts ground game that ranks sixth in the league, averaging 128.5 yards per game - most of it thanks to Taylor. He’s averaging a staggering 103.1 yards per game and leads the NFL with 16 rushing touchdowns. He’s also one of the most efficient backs in the league, averaging 5.3 yards per carry.
To make matters worse for San Francisco, the Titans averaged 6.8 yards per carry against them on Sunday - and that includes a run that lost seven yards. Tony Pollard, Tennessee’s lead back, gashed the Niners for 104 yards on just 14 carries, good for 7.4 yards per attempt.
Now imagine Taylor getting 18 to 20 carries - or more - on Monday night. If those same running lanes are there, the Colts are going to ride him all game long. And with a playoff spot on the line, they’re not going to hesitate to lean heavily on their star back.
The Colts did get a boost under center with 44-year-old Philip Rivers returning to action for the first time in nearly five years. He played well given the circumstances, but let’s be real - Indianapolis isn’t going to ask him to throw it 40 times. This game is going to run through Taylor.
There is a silver lining for the Niners: Taylor hasn’t topped 100 yards since his monster 244-yard explosion against the Falcons back in Week 10. And since then, he’s only found the end zone once.
Still, if the 49ers want to keep their momentum rolling and avoid a letdown in prime time, they’ll need to tighten up the run defense - fast. Because if Taylor finds his rhythm early, San Francisco could be in for a long night.