The San Francisco 49ers completely dismantled the Indianapolis Colts in Monday Night Football. Brock Purdy excelled with five touchdowns, while Philip Rivers received no help from the Colts’ running game.

Led by an outstanding quarterback Brock Purdy, the San Francisco 49ers celebrated a landslide victory over the Indianapolis Colts. In the Monday Night Game of Week 16, the Niners won 48-27 in Indianapolis and, with eleven wins, still have a chance at the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

The Colts, on the other hand, are virtually out of the playoff race after their fifth consecutive defeat. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Los Angeles Chargers have secured their tickets to the postseason thanks to the 49ers’ victory. The Colts and Houston Texans are battling it out for the last wild card spot in the AFC.

Monday night’s game was a showcase for Brock Purdy from the start, with the quarterback throwing five passing touchdowns for the first time in his career. The last 49ers quarterback to achieve this was the legendary Joe Montana 35 years ago.

Brock Purdy makes 49ers history

“It’s an honor to play for this organization with guys like Joe Montana and Steve Young and wear the same jersey on the field,” Purdy, who had already secured a place in the playoffs with his team before the game, told ESPN: “I’m just a kid living his dream.”

Thanks to this historic performance, his only interception of the evening late in the game was hardly significant. His counterpart Philip Rivers did not perform badly in his second appearance since his comeback, but received no support from the running game.

Indianapolis managed only 58 rushing yards on 20 attempts – not enough to cause the Niners’ defense any real problems, despite a touchdown from Jonathan Taylor. Rivers threw two touchdowns, both to wide receiver Alec Pierce. But the 44-year-old also threw a pick six in the final stages of the game.

McCaffrey excels once again

The most notable player on the Californian side was once again Christian McCaffrey, who caught two of Purdy’s five touchdown passes. The running back also ran for 117 yards. Also strong: tight end George Kittle, who contributed 115 yards and a touchdown to the victory.

The win saw San Francisco overtake the Los Angeles Rams to move into second place in the NFC West, one win behind leaders Seattle Seahawks. The Niners face a tough schedule to finish the regular season. First up is a home game against the Chicago Bears next week, followed by a trip to Seattle on the final day of the season for what could be a decisive game for first place in the NFC.

The Colts, on the other hand, desperately need two wins against the Jaguars and in their final game in Houston, and must also hope that the Texans lose to the Chargers on the upcoming matchday. Only then can the Colts still make the playoffs.