The Indianapolis Colts only attempted two passes beyond 20 yards against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 15. On the first play from scrimmage against the San Francisco 49ers, Philip Rivers “let it fly.” His first throw traveled 45 yards.
That would be the last mistake Rivers made on the drive. Tatum Bethune was on Jonathan Taylor on third down, and that was a mistake. Robert Saleh thought he could get away with playing man coverage because he was facing an immobile quarterback. That was another mishap.
The Colts’ pass catchers were always going to be a mismatch against the 49ers’ back seven. Rivers’ processing ability was on full display on the first drive. The Colts took advantage of the man coverage the 49ers ran and jumped out to an early 7-0 lead.
Brock Purdy’s first pass looked like it may have been a mistake, but George Kittle made an incredible catch to move the chains for 26 yards down the middle of the field. Christian McCaffrey ran for 17 yards on the following three plays, and Demarcus Robinson won on a 22-yard route to tie the game three minutes later at seven apiece.
Ji’Ayir Brown made a fantastic special-teams play on the ensuing kickoff when he forced a fumble. The drive started with a 12-yard pass to Kittle. After McCaffrey ran for 11 yards, he caught a two-yard touchdown pass to give the 49ers a 14-7 lead.
Shane Steichen schemed up a scenario where wide receiver Josh Downs was being defended by Bryce Huff. The results were as expected. Before that, Rivers completed an 11-yard pass and a 17-yarder. He capped off the drive with a 16-yard pass to Alec Pierce on 3rd & goal from the 16. It was a drive that was humbling for the 49ers, even as banged up as they were. The score was tied at 14.
Kendrick Bourne had his 500,000 taken away from him. Well, technically, it was on Bourne for not completing the catch to the ground. On the previous play, Jauan Jennings also dropped a pass. There were no signs of either offense stopping one another. The only thing stopping each offense was themselves.
But Purdy scrambled for nine yards, and then snuck for a first down on 4th and 1. That type of mobility will bail out any offense. The 49ers already were operating at an elite level, so adding in Purdy’s legs felt like a cheat code. After McCaffrey picked up a couple of first downs, Kittle found the end zone once more to give the Niners a 21-14 lead.
The 49ers’ defense was the first unit to get a stop. They forced a three-and-out, and the offense bled the clock for over minutes. They settled for a field goal, but that widened the lead to double digits, making it 24-14.
The 49ers appeared to have gotten another stop when Darrell Luter broke up a pass on third down. But Luter was flagged for a questionable pass interference call. So, instead of having two timeouts and over a minute remaining in the first half, the Colts were gifted a free first down. They turned that drive into points, trimming the lead to 24-17.
The 49ers had 17 seconds and the ball before the half, and still nearly came away with points. Purdy found Kendrick Bourne for 14 yards, which wound up allowing Bourne to earn his $500,000 bonus. Eddy Pineiro’s kick from 64 yards out was dead on, but hit the crossbar and popped straight up.
The 49ers wasted little time beginning the third quarter. Kittle gained 15 yards, then Jennings caught a 21-yard pass. Kittle followed that up with a 22-yard pass. Everything was working. Purdy’s best throw of the night came near the goal line, where he layered a pass to Jennings in the end zone. That touchdown made it 31-17.
The Colts benefited from an unnecessary roughness penalty when Deommodore Lenoir attempted to peanut punch the ball away from Jonathan Taylor. Then, on 2nd & 9, Michael Pittman caught a 14-yard pass. The Colts’ drive stalled, and a field goal felt like a win for the 49ers. That made it 31-20.
Skyy Moore’s second productive return preceded a Jennings 19-yard catch. And just like that, the 49ers were in Colts territory. For the first time in what felt like all night, the 49ers didn’t do much on first or second down. Pineiro’s field goal pushed the lead back to 14, at 34-20.
George Kittle limped off the field with an ankle injury and was questionable to return. Bethune would also go down a few plays later, paving the way for Eric Kendricks to make his debut. The 49ers had an opportunity to get the Colts off the field, but Rivers shook a Malik Mustapha blitz and found Tyler Warren wide open. Kendricks was defending him. Rivers took advantage of a Jason Pinnock bust on 1st & goal, picking up eight yards. Then Taylor gained a yard to make it a one-score game once more at 34-27.
The 49ers needed to score. How unfair is that? They had scored on every possession except for Pineiro’s missed career-long attempt before the end of the half. Fair or not, this is what the 49ers have become. A team over-reliant on its offense after its defense was decimated with injuries.
No Kittle? No problem.
Jennings gained 17 yards. McCaffrey rushed for 24 on 3rd & 1. Once again, the 49ers were in field goal range. On third, Jennings won his route and moved the chains once more. Then, Brock Purdy joined some elite company with his fifth touchdown pass. Purdy scrambled, rolled right, and found McCaffrey in the end zone after dragging his feet. It was a hell of a play. More importantly, it gave the 49ers a 41-27 lead.
Alfred Collins forced a fumble on a sack to begin the next drive. Those are the drive-ending plays the defense has been deprived of this season.
Purdy’s lone mistake came on a high pass on the ensuing drive. It went through Bourne’s hands, but was too high to handle. Knowing how the defense had been all night, this game was far from over. That is, until Dee Winters called game. He jumped Warren’s route and returned it 75 yards to give the 49ers a 48-27 win. That’s what you call complementary football.
The 49ers move up to the fifth seed in the NFC with a win. They are also still in control of their destiny to earn the No. 1 seed.
