Philip Rivers’s second start for the Colts in the 2025 season will come in prime time during a Monday Night Football showdown against the 49ers at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Rivers & Co. were denied a win in his return to action––the 44-year-old’s first game since 2020—after Seahawks kicker Jason Myers converted on a game-winning field goal late in the fourth quarter. Now, Indianapolis will try to improve its own playoff odds while making things a bit tougher for San Francisco down the stretch of the regular season.
The 49ers enter play as winners of four straight, and clinched a playoff berth without even stepping on the field over the weekend after the Lions lost to the Steelers. The Colts are trending in the opposite direction, having lost four in a row. After starting the year 8–2, they’ve shrunk to 8–6, and NFL.com now gives them just a 11% chance to make the postseason. A win on Monday night will be critical if they want any chance of making the playoffs.
Without further ado, let’s make some bold predictions for Monday’s clash.
Christian McCaffrey will have two touchdowns and over 150 total yards
McCaffrey has been excellent once again in 2025, heading into Monday's tilt with 14 total touchdowns in as many games. He has scored at least one touchdown in each of the last four games and has reached the end zone six total times in that span.
McCaffrey has been receiving a steady flow of touches out of the backfield, and remains a vital part of the 49ers’ passing attack. He hasn’t had a game with fewer than 18 touches since the Week 8 loss to the Texans. He’ll be heavily involved once again on Monday, and I’m expecting him to have a big game against the Colts. McCaffrey will score two total touchdowns and rack up more than 150 yards in Indy.
Philip Rivers will throw for two touchdowns without an interception
The Colts played it safe through the air in Rivers’s return to action in Week 15. With his passes lacking a bit of zip, it’s hard to take shots downfield. He had just 120 yards last week while throwing for a touchdown and an interception, and I’m expecting him to improve upon that performance against the Niners.
Rivers will use his experience to his advantage, looking to make safe short-yard gains as opposed to going for a big play. The offense may lack some explosiveness outside of Jonathan Taylor, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be effective. Rivers will need to play mistake-free football against San Francisco, and I think that he’ll do just that, throwing for two touchdowns and no picks.
49ers will dash Colts' playoff dreams in one-score win
These two teams are trending in opposite directions right now, and I think that will continue on Monday night. Indianapolis has lost four games in a row, and three of those losses have come in one-score games. Other than a 17–point loss to the Jaguars, the Colts’ losing streak has consisted of an overtime defeat against the Chiefs, a four-point loss to the Texans and a loss on a last-second field goal against the Seahawks.
I’m expecting Indianapolis to make Monday’s game competitive, but ultimately, the 49ers will get the job done and shut the door on the Colts’ playoff hopes. Indeed, although the Lions' loss on Sunday cemented San Francisco’s place in the playoffs, I don’t expect the team to take its foot off the gas as it looks to stay hot through the end of the regular season.
This figures to be a close game, but I think the 49ers will deliver a one-score win in front of a national audience.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Colts vs. 49ers: Three Bold Predictions for ‘Monday Night Football’ in Week 16.