Brock Purdy threw five touchdown passes as the 49ers rolled to a 48-27 win over the Colts on Monday Night Football. Joe Montana was the last 49ers quarterback to throw five touchdowns when he did it in 1990.
The 49ers improved to 11-4 with a fifth consecutive win. The Colts fell to 8-7, with their loss clinching playoff berths for the Bills, Chargers and Jaguars.
Purdy hit four different receivers for scores, with running back Christian McCaffrey catching touchdowns of 2 and 9 yards. Jauan Jennings had a 3-yard score, Demarcus Robinson a 22-yard score and George Kittle an 11-yard score.
Linebacker Dee Winters iced the game with a 74-yard interception return off Philip Rivers with 3:26 remaining.
The 49ers gained 440 yards, scored on 7-of-9 possessions (not counting kneel downs to end it) and didn’t punt again. They have not punted since Nov. 30 against the Browns. San Francisco missed a 64-yard field goal off the crossbar to end the first half, and Purdy threw a late interception that went through the hands of Kendrick Bourne on the only two drives they didn’t score.
Purdy was 25-of-34 for 295 yards, and McCaffrey had 21 carries for 117 yards and six catches for 29 yards. Kittle caught seven passes for 115 yards before leaving with an ankle injury.
The Colts had 312 yards, with Rivers going 23-of-35 for 277 yards with two touchdowns and the pick-six. Alec Pierce caught four passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns, and Jonathan Taylor ran for 46 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries and caught three passes for 33 yards.
Colts Clips
49ers tight end George Kittle injured his ankle in the third quarter of Monday Night Football. The team lists him as questionable to return.
Colts defensive back Jaylon Jones was covering Kittle when Kittle pulled up, limping, as Kendrick Bourne caught a pass in front of him for a 2-yard gain with 4:07 remaining in the quarter.
Kittle limped off the field and appeared in pain on the sideline.
He has seven catches for 115 yards and a touchdown.
The Colts turned it back into a one-score game on Jonathan Taylor’s 1-yard touchdown run with 12:41 remaining in the fourth quarter. The 49ers now lead 34-27.
Brock Purdy opened the second half with his fourth touchdown of the night.
The 49ers extended their lead to 31-17 with 10:58 remaining in the third quarter.
Purdy has hit four different receivers for scores, with Jauan Jennings the latest to catch a touchdown pass for the 49ers. Jennings had a 3-yard touchdown on a third-down throw.
Purdy also has touchdown throws of 22 yards to Demarcus Robinson, 2 yards to Christian McCaffrey and 11 yards to George Kittle.
He is 18-of-23 for 227 yards, and Kittle has seven catches for 115 yards.
The 49ers have 314 yards after a 64-yard, eight-play drive to open the second half.
The 49ers scored on their first four possessions of the first half, taking a 24-17 lead into the locker room at halftime.
San Francisco had touchdown drives of 69, 26 and 69 yards and a field-goal drive of 75 yards. Brock Purdy has three touchdown passes and nearly had a fourth on an incompletion to George Kittle that forced the 49ers to settle for a 25-yard Eddy Pineiro field goal.
Purdy’s touchdowns went for 22 yards to Demarcus Robinson, 2 yards to Christian McCaffrey and 11 yards to Kittle.
He is 13-of-17 for 165 yards.
The 49ers have 250 yards.
McCaffrey has 11 carries for 67 yards and four receptions for 17 yards, and Kittle has five catches for 78 yards.
The 49ers got a 36-yard kickoff return from Skyy Moore with 11 seconds left, and Purdy’s 14-yard completion to Kendrick Bourne set up a 64-yard Eddy Pineiro field-goal try. The kick hit the crossbar.
Philip Rivers, who came out of a five-year retirement last week to return at 44 years old, nearly matched Purdy throw-for-throw. He is 14-of-21 for 175 yards and two touchdowns. Alec Pierce caught both touchdown passes, his first multi-touchdown game, with receptions of 20 and 16 yards.
Colts returner Ameer Abdullah fumbled the team’s first kickoff return, with Ji’Ayir Brown forcing it and Jake Tonges recovering it. The 49ers used the short field to drive for a touchdown and a 14-7 lead.
The Colts punted only once and have 194 yards.
Colts rookie defensive end JT Tuimoloau is questionable to return with an oblique injury.
Brock Purdy has three touchdown passes midway through the second quarter.
The 49ers quarterback put his team back on top, 21-14, with an 11-yard touchdown throw to tight end George Kittle. His first touchdown pass went for 22 yards to Demarcus Robinson and his second covered 2 yards to Christian McCaffrey.
Purdy is 7-of-9 for 89 yards.
The 49ers have touchdown drives of 69 26 and 69 yards on their three possessions tonight.
The Colts have scored on both of their possessions on drives of 72 and 66 yards, as Philip Rivers has hit Alec Pierce for a pair of scores.
Philip Rivers has found a new favorite receiver.
Twice tonight already the Colts quarterback has hit Alec Pierce for a touchdown. The first one, which gave the Colts a 7-0 lead, went for 20 yards. The second, which tied the game 14-14, covered 16 yards.
Rivers had 120 yards and a touchdown last week in his first game in five seasons.
He is 10-of-15 for 137 yards and two touchdowns only 45 seconds into the second quarter.
Pierce has three receptions for 53 yards.
49ers quarterback Brock Purdy also has two touchdown passes, hitting Demarcus Robinson for 22 yards and Christian McCaffrey for 2 yards. Both teams have scored two touchdowns on two possessions.
The 49ers fell behind the Colts 7-0. They now lead 14-7.
San Francisco took six plays, 69 yards and 3 minutes, 17 seconds to tie it 7-7. Demarcus Robinson scored his first touchdown as a 49er, catching a 22-yard touchdown pass from Brock Purdy.
Purdy was 3-for-3 for 54 yards on the first drive, with George Kittle catching a 26-yard pass to help advance things.
Colts returner Ameer Abdullah fumbled the ensuing kickoff, with Ji’Ayir Brown forcing it and Jake Tonges recovering it.
The 49ers needed only five plays to go 26 yards, with Purdy throwing a 2-yard touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey. Purdy was 2-for-2 for 14 yards on the drive.
The Colts have ruled out center Tanor Bortolini, who was diagnosed with a concussion. Bortolini went out on the second play, and
Danny Pinter has replaced him.
Philip Rivers can still play.
The Colts quarterback, who unretired last week, threw a touchdown pass on the team’s first possession Monday night.
Rivers went 5-of-7 for 73 yards, leading the Colts on a nine-play, 72-yard scoring drive.
He threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Alec Pierce for a 7-0 lead over the 49ers.
Rivers threw for 120 yards with a touchdown and an interception in last week’s loss to the Seahawks, which was his first game since Jan. 3, 2021.
The Colts lost center Tanor Bortolini on the second play of the game. Bortolini went to the locker room for a concussion check. Danny Pinter replaced him.
The 49ers had already ruled out wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, who missed practice all week with knee and ankle injuries.
“He was close,” coach Kyle Shanahan said after the team’s final practice of the week. “But not close enough.”
Cornerback Renardo Green (neck) was also ruled out Saturday.
The team did activate defensive lineman Yetur Gross-Matos (hamstring) from injured reserve, and he will play. The 49ers also activated cornerback Eli Apple and linebacker Eric Kendricks from the practice squad to play tonight.
The 49ers’ other inactives are defensive lineman Kevin Givens, running back Isaac Guerendo, cornerback Chase Lucas, defensive lineman Robert Beal Jr. and linebacker Curtis Robinson.
The Colts’ inactives are linebacker Jaylon Carlies, cornerback Sauce Gardner (calf), running back DJ Giddens, wide receiver Anthony Gould (foot), safety Reuben Lowery III, tight end Will Mallory and offensive tackle Bernhard Raimann (elbow).
Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner was activated from injured reserve and will play.
San Francisco will have a trio of defensive players available for Monday night’s game against Indianapolis.
The 49ers announced they’ve activated defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos off of injured reserve. The club has also elevated veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks and veteran cornerback Eli Apple for the Week 16 contest.
Gross-Matos has been sidelined by a hamstring injury since early October. In his second season with San Francisco, Gross-Matos has registered four total tackles with one pass defensed in five games so far this season.
Kendricks is set to make his 49ers debut after joining the club’s practice squad late last month. He started 15 games for Dallas last season, registering 138 total tackles with 3.0 sacks and two interceptions.
Apple appeared in one game for the 49ers earlier this season, playing three special teams snaps.
