49ers takeaways: Offense explodes on Colts while Purdy makes history
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- 49ers rolled to a 48-27 road win; offense surged as Purdy threw five TDs .
- McCaffrey rushed for 117 yards, caught six passes and scored two touchdowns.
- 49ers avoided punts in consecutive games, first team mark and defensive TD.
The San Francisco 49ers showed off their best offensive performance of the season on “Monday Night Football” in a 48-27 victory on the road against the Indianapolis Colts with a bunch of “firsts” in their push for the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.
They improved their record to 11-4 and still have a chance for that No. 1 seed in the NFC if they win their final two games, both at home against the Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks. For now, they move to the No. 5 seed in the conference, leapfrogging the 11-4 Los Angeles Rams.
San Francisco, which clinched a playoff berth on Sunday, came in on a four-game winning streak while the Colts had lost four straight following their blistering 8-2 start. They came in with slim chances at making the playoffs, two games back of the No. 7 seed with three games left.
Here are five takeaways from the 49ers’ victory.
Purdy rocks, no punts and psych!
The 49ers needed a big day from their quarterback as their defense struggled for much of the game slowing down Colts QB Philip Rivers and the Colts talented offense.
And Brock Purdy delivered with a career night.
Purdy threw three touchdown passes on his first three possessions and then two more in the second half to set a new career high with five touchdown tosses. His first four went to different players before finding Christian McCaffrey on a 9-yard score midway through the fourth quarter for McCaffrey’s second.
It came after the 49ers decided not to challenge a potential touchdown catch to backup tight end Jake Tonges which might have Purdy’s most impressive throw of the night.
His second-half TD to Jauan Jennings came with a little no-ball-for-you moment, as he pretended to give it to a fan and then — psych! — pulled it back.
Purdy finished 25 of 34 for 295 yards. His only blemish was an interception late the game. His 126.8 passer rating backed up last week’s performance when he posted a 140.3 mark against the Tennessee Titans.
Purdy also became the first 49ers quarterback to throw 5 touchdown passes on “Monday Night Football.”
And: No punts. The 49ers didn’t punt for a second straight game. (See below.)
McCaffrey bursts
The 49ers came into the game dead last in the NFL in yards per carry at 3.5 while the Colts had one of the stingiest run defenses, allowing 3.7 yards per carry, the second best in the NFL.
Naturally, McCaffrey had one of his best rushing performances of the season.
He finished with 117 rushing yards while adding 6 catches for 29 yards and two scores. It was his third 100-yard rushing performance of the year while his best was when he had 129 yards Oct. 19 against the Falcons.
McCaffrey’s 24-yard run in the fourth quarter was his longest of the season.
Kittle hobbles off the field
George Kittle limped off the field late in the third quarter with an ankle injury amid a productive night.
The All-Pro tight end had seven catches on eight targets for 115 yards and a touchdown. The lone incompletion came on a near score that glanced off Kittle’s hand in the second quarter. It was Kittle’s 22nd career 100-yard game and first of this season.
Ankle injuries can be tricky. The 49ers are hoping it’s not a high-ankle sprain, which usually means a four-to-six week absence. That would be devastating given there are only two regular season games remaining.
Bourne gets his bonus
Kendrick Bourne earned a nice pay day with a catch.
He triggered a $500,000 bonus with an 11-yard reception late in the second quarter, giving him 510 for the season after coming into the game needing just 1 yard to reach 500 and trigger the bonus. Bourne that he had it earlier in the half with a catch that was overturned by a challenge from Colts coach Shane Steichen when replays showed Bourne didn’t hold on to the ball when he hit the ground.
They racked up a lot of firsts
- According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the 49ers went consecutive games without punting for the first time in team history. They became just the fifth team since 1950 to accomplish the feat.
- Rookie C.J. West had his first career sack in the first half, which also helped the 49ers get their first stop of the game.
- Demarcus Robinson’s touchdown in the first quarter was his first since signing with San Francisco in the offseason.
- Kicker Eddy Piñeiro missed his first field goal with the 49ers when a 64-yard attempt clanked off the crossbar as the first half expired. It would have been a career long for the six-year veteran. Piñeiro made his only other attempt making him 26 of 27 (96% on the season).
- The pick-6 for linebacker Dee Winters, which iced the game late in the fourth quarter, was San Francisco’s first defensive touchdown of the year.
- And Purdy, of course, was the first 49ers quarterback to have five touchdown passes on a Monday night.
This story was originally published December 22, 2025 at 9:06 PM with the headline "49ers takeaways: Offense explodes on Colts while Purdy makes history."
