49ers-Colts Week 16 MNF Recap: Brock Purdy and Philip Rivers Give Us a Night to Remember

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3:42down a career high for Brock Purdy tonight. Oh, how dare you, Brock Purdy. On Phillip Rivers' night, we're watching old man Rivers go up and down the field, and you have the gall to put up a 40-burger on a Colts defense that couldn't get a stop all night. Yes, Brock Purdy, five touchdowns in a 48-27 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. all but eliminating the Colts from playoff contention and clinching a playoff spot for three AFC teams, the Bills, the Jags, and the Chargers. But this night, my friend Nick Shook was all about Brock Purdy and Phillip Rivers, and we're going to give Phillip Rivers a lot of time.

4:29And if you're looking for that pick six at the end of the game, you're not going to find it on this show. We don't support Phillip Rivers' pick sixes, but we do support an awesome performance by this 49ers offense, which we just got to give them their flowers. They are, to me, the team that no one is going to want to face in the NFC playoffs.

4:46Nick Shook:Absolutely. This is a team that has been fighting through so many injuries since the start of training camp. There was much news made about how they were missing so many receivers in camp. And then they lose Brock Purdy and they lose George Kittle. And yet they somehow continue to find ways to win with Mac Jones. They lost Fred Warner. Their defense is still playing good ball. And now they're getting hot at the right time. they seem to be healthier than at any other point in this season. And Brock Purdy is back to full strength. He's back. He's better than ever. He sets a career high with five touchdown passes.

5:15Nick Shook:Get out of the Niners way. It just might be their year. I can't believe how easy they made it look. And sometimes Purdy and whoever's quarterbacking the 49ers, like the receivers are so open that you give Kyle Shanahan all the credit. But if you think about the throws that Purdy made during this game, You know, he has what nine incompletions or something like that on the night. Like so many of the incompletions either went off the hands of his receivers or were in the right spot where only his receiver could get it or were thrown out of bounds. And so many were thrown with incredible anticipation.

5:52And yeah, the Colts did not have much of a pass rush. But Shanahan was basically putting a big X on Jermaine Pratt and Zaire Franklin and the linebackers for the Colts. and he was absolutely cooking them all night. Let's actually watch one of Purdy's best throws, and that was the fourth touchdown throw of the night to America's heel, Juwan Jennings. Third down and goal. Balls at the three-yard line. Purdy in the shotgun, takes the snap, wants to throw. Throws out to the near pylon. Up high, and it's snagged by Jennings with his fingertips. Juwan Jennings with the touchdown for the 49ers. And that looks like it's an easy throw, but the thing I love about Purdy is he always puts it in the right spot, and he's almost a little bit of a younger version of Phillip Rivers where he throws it hard when he needs to.

6:45He puts the touch on it in small areas when he needs to, and he's obviously more athletic than Rivers is, but neither of them have a huge arm, and yet they both have a lot of dip on their chip. They are just oozing confidence, and Rivers definitely met his maps tonight with the 2025 Purdy.

7:03Nick Shook:Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, that throw, I'm glad that we played that one because that was probably one of the best throws of the night. Another one was, you know, a bit of an adventurous, if not risky throw when he threw a touchdown pass to George Kittle in the back of the end zone, kind of going across his body. It looked a little bit like the Caleb Williams touchdown pass against the Browns a couple of weeks ago. And what I really like the most about Brock Purdy is how he's married so well with Kyle Shanahan. We kind of see what Kyle saw in him back when he was the third stringer and he was telling people in the building, our third stringer might be our best quarterback.

7:32Nick Shook:Because the way that Kyle schemes up a lot of these plays, it's perfect for what Purdy does. He reads, he understands where he needs to put his eyes, and he delivers. Accuracy, one of his strengths. That play right there that we played, George Kittle's open there too because of scheme. There's a crossing, there's a play in the fourth quarter where I think it might be third down there on a drive that essentially puts the game away. where they run a play action with a stretch to the right, takes the entire defense flowing to the right. He throws it to a cross to the left. That's Kyle Shanahan design.

8:00Nick Shook:They absolutely victimized this Colts defense, which admittedly shorthanded doesn't have sauce guard or doesn't have Charverius Ward. And they couldn't, no matter what they did, they couldn't stop them. They tried zone early. Purdy picks them apart against cover two, throwing it to Kittle, contested ball over the middle. They try man later. They get beat on the play that I just described. No matter what they did, it didn't matter because Brock Purdy was dialed in. That was Guy Haberman and Tim Ryan, by the way, on KNBR. You heard the local voices. I loved on the national broadcast, and you could kind of hear it there, the crowd when Juwan Jennings scored that touchdown, and he goes over to appear to give the touchdown ball to one of the Colts fans nearby and pulls it back, and you could hear the crowd go, oh.

8:46It was just an awesome moment. Juwan Jennings is fully leaning into the heel of this season. What was it that your boy Shelby Harris said about Juwan earlier this season?

8:57Nick Shook:Can I say the full thing that he said? I'm not sure if I can. I think you can say it. He said you're just quoting. And I quote, he's a ho and I want that known, end quote. Shelby Harris. I disagree. He did it to some fans tonight. I disagree. If you watch Juwan Jennings every week, he does something that either annoys the opponent or annoys the opposing crowd. And I had a great follower tonight point out that Brandon Ayuk took out his contract frustrations on the 49ers all season. And, you know, no longer with the team. He put an Instagram post up this week of him driving 90 miles an hour past the facility.

9:31Very strange. Juwan Jennings, on the other hand, has taken out his frustrations on the rest of the league. That's what you want to do with your contract negotiations. And he's had a really good end of the season. Five catches, 71 yards and a touchdown tonight. And the thing that stands out to me about this 49ers team before we get to Rivers and everything else that was great about tonight. They are fully healthy now on offense. And we've been talking about the path to them winning in the playoffs. And look, they have a chance to be the number one seed. If they beat the Bears and they beat the Seahawks, they are the number one seed in the NFC.

10:07Crazier things have happened. They've literally beaten the Seahawks this season. I don't think they'll sweep them, but they have done it. And the path to me was a way that some old Colts teams, for instance, would win games in the playoff. Just all offense, all gas, no breaks, win some shootouts. Tonight looked like a team with a healthy offensive line, all their skill position guys playing their best. They're running the ball really well. That could win a big time shootout and do kind of like what the Rams did in Seattle the other night. I know they didn't finish off the game, but put up 500 yards on a great defense.

10:39Great offense can be great defense sometimes in the playoff.

10:41Nick Shook:yeah you know um i i did a radio spot earlier today and said that basically the nfc west might have the three best teams in the nfl like the the nfc champion is probably going to come out of the nfc west it's just a matter of which team do you trust the most last week i would have told you the rams but after seeing tonight with the 49ers could sound like a little bit of hyperbole i acknowledge that if you think about their potential now they don't have a pass rush that's their biggest issue but if you think about their potential offensively what they can do to control a game offensively could end up winning them one of those games against one of those other division rivals or somebody else in the conference.

11:15Nick Shook:So you really can't take them lightly, especially now that they're healthier than ever. I've seen like the vision because Trent Williams, they mentioned it again on the broadcast, is playing better right now than he has all season. And he's always been Trent Williams, but he's back to peak form right now. The offensive line's really moving well. The Christian McCaffrey you saw tonight where he rips off his biggest run of the season, 24 yards is actually his biggest run in a couple of years. Our friend Patrick Claibon points out in the past, he would have been taking that to the house. He does not have the long speed.

11:46But they have been running more effectively with him lately. So I think it's the offensive line has cohesion. The receivers, Purdy's obviously healthy. Like it's coming together. But I will push back on you about the best teams in the NFL. I guess I got to see this defense, which just made Phillip Rivers and the 2025 Colts look like one of the best offenses in the NFL for three quarters plus tonight. I got to see them against tougher competition next week and the following week before I believe. Because to me, they're a pretty big tier down from Seattle and the Rams. And if you want to tell me because of this offense, Chuck, that you put them right there with Packers and the Bears in the rest of the NFC mix, I'll buy that.

12:35I'll accept that argument. but I'm not quite seeing it. It means they could win one game, even against the Rams or Seahawks in the playoffs, or maybe two, but can you get through three games with this lack of a pass rush?

12:45Nick Shook:Well, they get that one seed. They're not going to need to get through three games. They'll get through two games, and they'll have hope for advantage both times. I mean, if they get that one seed, it means they beat the Bears and the Seahawks in a row, and then I will back off that stance, and they will have shown everything that they can be, but this offense really is that good. It's almost always that good, as long as they're healthy under Kyle Shanahan. Yeah, it's true. And again, it's like I said before, it's because of his scheme. I mean, he's just one of the masterful play callers. You know, I have to give a tip of the cap to Monday Night Football Playbook, their new alternative broadcast that they rolled out tonight.

13:16Nick Shook:You know, I think they need to do the wire cam more than the sideline, their version of like live all 22. But otherwise, there was a lot just being able to see the whole field. You could see more of what was going on. You could see the ingenuity of Kyle Shanahan and just how he's toying with the defense, with his design, whether it's pre-snap motion, whether it's just play action, getting a play to flow one way and going the other. it just makes them such a complete offense when they're healthy. And we haven't seen this all year. It kind of brings some sense to why Mac Jones found success with them, because if your scheme is good enough to get guys open, and even if you're hamstrung in other positions because you're missing guys, as long as you can play a little bit of point guard passer, you can still move the football, which is what we saw from Mac back then.

13:51Nick Shook:And that's, again, why I think that, you know, what you said about them being able to win a shootout, it's absolutely 100 % in their favor if they get into a shootout. But you're right. The defensive part obviously does matter, so we'll see. and if I'm going to talk about bad defense, I mean, the Colts who had been taken on water late in the season on defense, but then played a good game overall against the Seahawks. I thought they really played with a lot of energy. Last week, man, they were rough. The series summary for the 49ers, touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, field goal, missed field goal at the end of the first half, but you're not even going to give them credit for that because it was a two-play drive where they got into position.

14:32Touchdown, field goal, touchdown. They were literally pitching a perfect game until they picked off Brock Purdy on a tipped pass. And I don't know if it was one of the worst defensive performances in the history of the NFL, but it was pretty bad. While we're giving the broadcast some love, before we give Phillip Rivers some love, let's actually hear a moment from that ESPN broadcast at the end of the first half. NFL kicking, right? Attempts from 60 yards are routinely tried. and doink almost hit i can hear that doink here from bristol oh that was field yates uh our friend here on nfl daily doing a little play by play and that was one of the all-time doing i mean if you're talking about the the sound that it made and then the length that the football went off the crossbar and back and it's from 64 yards out and it's Eddie Pinheiro.

15:33That's, I mean, how many doinks have been better than that? The double doink is better, but that's like one of the greatest.

15:39Nick Shook:Yeah, absolutely. You know, do you have doorstoppers in your home, like those spring-loaded doorstoppers? You ever accidentally like hit one with your foot and it just like makes that sound? It was like that. The reverberation through the crossbar was fantastic. And the best part about it was that it was even that close. He kicks it and you're like, oh, it's between the uprights, but does it have the distance? Boom. The finality of hitting the crossbar and the ball coming back. nothing more satisfying for, you know, the aesthetic part of watching a football game. I totally agree and appreciate the commenter who's reminding everyone.

16:09If you're in the chat with us, we love having you live. We obviously love everyone that's listening in their ears. Like the video right now. Subscribe to NFL Daily. We appreciate you. Last real point, actually, I'll make on that. They're special teams right now. We talked about the Seahawks and how that was a huge advantage over the Rams. The 49ers, and there's a great article on The Athletic about it, has as big a one year-to-year improvement in terms of special teams and DVOA rankings and different ways you want to measure special teams of almost any team in NFL history. They are one of, if not the best special teams in the entire NFL.

16:47And that was a huge reason they won this game because they forced a fumble on a kickoff against the Colts, and that gave them an extra possession in the first half. And the first half did not have literally any defensive stops until the fourth quarter of this game. The Colts and Philip Rivers, every time they had the ball, scored. It was what? Three touchdowns, three field goals. That's better than any, you know, team in NFL history. You kept up that pace. Philip Rivers was doing through six drives of this game. And I got to say, you know, I'm I'm about Philip Rivers's age. He's one of my all time favorite quarterbacks to see him out there balling like this.

17:25and shutting up everyone who said it was a disaster and embarrassment. And what are they doing throwing him out there? And, oh, like we have to point out he didn't play that well last week. I don't think he actually was that good. I'm sorry to be such a truth teller. How about he stuck it in their eye? Let's listen to the Phillip Rivers pass. Let's go with the second touchdown to Alec Pierce. Love that one. Four down lineman for San Francisco. Rivers out of the gun. Back's the pass. He's got time. He throws up into the end zone. And touchdown. Pierce again. And number two tonight for Alec Pearson.

17:58It covers 16 yards to the house. Pierce having a huge game. Touchdown, INDY. 14-13, the score. I love that call from Matt Taylor on WFNI. This is time for Quarterback Keeper presented by Snapdragon. Didn't think we'd have a sponsored segment with Phillip Rivers in the year 2025. but tell me tell me what you saw out of him because you know how i feel it's going to sound biased but tell me what you saw out of the old man tonight so i've already given some love to

18:31Nick Shook:espn for their broadcast choices tonight uh main broadcast first drive buck and aikman just stepped out of the call entirely every snap for the for the colts they let the on-field mic carry the game and they let rivers adjustments pre-snap carry the entire drive and the full moment the excitement, the buzz that was in the stadium and him going out there and just adjusting calls based on coverage that he's seen pre-snap over and over and over again. It was a great demonstration and an explanation of why Shane Steichen felt so confident to go get a 44-year-old out of retirement and put him right into the starting lineup, even if he looked like Sonny Jergensen with a bit of a gut because he's 44 years old and said, you know what?

19:12Nick Shook:I believe that you can help us win football games. Most importantly, you're not going to lose us football games. He went out there and gave them a fighting chance, more than a fighting chance tonight, with the way that he deciphered the 49ers defensive looks and moved them right down the field. The first touchdown pass was glorious. The second one was just as fantastic. By the way, Alec Pierce has made himself a lot of money this whole season and made himself more money with those contested catches tonight. But I just thought that it wasn't until they were down multiple scores where you started to see, like, OK, he is 44 years old with a limited arm.

19:42Nick Shook:Before that, he was pinpoint passing, again, point guard passing, kind of like Brock Purdy all over the field to keep them in the game. And most of that was done with the way that he looked at the look pre-snap and made his decisions right after the snap. You know, we talk a lot about Aaron Rodgers getting the ball out quickly. Phillip Rivers did the same thing. How do you neutralize a pass rush that's really kind of non-existent with San Francisco? But how do you neutralize your lack of mobility? You just get the ball out. You figure out what you're going to do. Tom Brady at his best. Pre-snap, you know, figuring out where the coverages are going and making a quick decision.

20:12Nick Shook:And he did that all night. And that is why he was deserving of the starting job and why he did a good job, even though they lost this game. Yeah, the turnover happens late. They're down two touchdowns. He actually had just a great pass into Pierce before that to set them up. But there's under four minutes to go. They're in hurry up mode. And he did have a fumble on the drive before that set up a punt. And before that, though, it wasn't just Dinkin' and Duncan. He averaged nine air yards per attempt. And the times he looked truly old was when he tried to rip some passes 45, 50 yards downfield. Both of those came up short.

20:52They just weren't happening. He was trying to make the defense respect it. But he was winning in the way that Phillip Rivers has always won, which was over the middle and the intermediate parts of the field. And sometimes on the sideline, too. In that first drive alone, he had gains of 18, 20, 19, and 14. He threw a 33-yard pass to Pierce. and why don't we listen to that first touchdown that he threw to, yes, a wide receiver that's going to make a lot of money this offseason.

21:41Nick Shook:Oh, it's so funny to me because that visual there, like, obviously it's a great throw, not taking anything away from it. But Rivers looks so much like your dad in the backyard in the pocket. They're like stepping up and just kind of flinging it. It's just remarkable that it works and it works really well. It's just a reminder. And he's got to wait an extra five years to possibly make the Hall of Fame. I think he will make the Hall of Fame. To me, it's a no doubter, but he might be the type of guy that has to wait a little bit. but this night, and he might not get another start. Troy Aikman, I wonder if he knew something said at the end of the game that he thinks Riley Leonard will start playing after this, which is interesting because the Colts are not eliminated from playoff contention.

22:25The Texans still have some work to do to get that final spot. But if this was it, unfortunately, it was kind of fitting for him because there's just been so many games where his defense and his special teams let him down and essentially through no fault of his own, he didn't get a win. But when they talk about him for the Hall of Fame, like everyone's going to remember this game. Like it was great that he got out there. He put them ahead in Seattle, the number one defense in the league, right now the number one team in the NFL with under a minute to go. They win that game if the defense just holds up.