But do style points count in late December?
Not one bit.
The 49ers kept the good times rolling on Monday Night Football, dismantling the Colts 48-27 to extend their winning streak to five games.
And while the defensive performance might not have been one for the distinct pleasure of the film room purists, the result — a decisive, controlling victory — is good enough for most.
The offense was a buzzsaw, operating with a rhythm and lethality that suggests they haven’t just peaked; they’ve ascended.
And the defense? The less said, the better. They bent, they broke, but when it really, truly mattered, they found a way to win.
With the win, the Niners don’t just stay hot; they remain in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.
Here were the studs and duds from the game:
STUDS 💪
Brock Purdy
He’s operating at a truly elite level right now. Purdy became the first 49ers quarterback to throw five touchdowns in a game since Steve Young in Super Bowl XXIX.
Young threw six, 30 years ago.
Purdy threw an interception late in the game but was otherwise impeccable beforehand. He ended with 295 yards passing, a 126 quarterback rating, and a whopping 0.61 expected points added per play.
The Niners needed nearly everything he gave them, but he made it look so easy it’s hard not bank on that play moving forward.
Christian McCaffrey
McCaffrey had 146 yards from scrimmage with two receiving touchdowns and a season-long 24-yard run.
Ho-hum. He just remains an offensive weapon unlike any other in the NFL.
George Kittle
Elite receiver, elite blocker, total dude. Kyle Shanahan moved Kittle all around the formation in this game — including several snaps from the backfield — and it left the Colts absolutely flummoxed.
Kittle ended the game with seven yards and 115 touchdowns before being chased from the game with an ankle injury.
The Left Side of the Niners’ Offensive Line
The Niners picked a side and went behind it again and again and again on Monday night. Trent Williams had another brilliant game, but Spencer Burford and Jake Brendel were both fantastic against an elite defensive tackle group in Grover Stewart and DeForest Buckner. The Niners were able to run inside, outside, and everywhere in between because the left side of the offensive line was so dominant.
Jauan Jennings
Didn’t just make big catches, but absolutely snatched them out of the air with some serious strength.
Jennings, who caught five passes for 71 yards and another touchdown (that’s now five in his last four games) is playing his best football at the perfect time for the 49ers.
CJ West and Alfred Collins
They’re the only two 49ers defensive linemen who provide any reliable push and can hold up against interior double-teams. The Niners need to ride them down the home stretch.
Skyy Moore
Had a great kick return to set up what was, eventually, a missed 64-yard field goal, but with 17 seconds on the clock in the first half when he started his return, the fact that the Niners were in position to score points was incredible.
Moore also added a nice 23-yard catch in the first half.
Dee Winters
His pick-six sealed the game, and was the big defensive play the 49ers needed all game.
DUDS 📉
Darrell Luter
If it wasn’t soft, passive coverage, it was pass interference. Luter is a backup, yes, but he was an easy target.
Robert Saleh
His game plan was far too simple. Colts quarterback Philip Rivers threw nothing but duck balls all night, but he was able to dissect the Niners’ 4-2-5 over look, which dropped back to quarters (Cover 4) or a basic Cover 3 nearly every snap.
You’re not going to fool the old vet like that.
And if he’s going to beat you with seven players in zone coverage, you might as well blitz and play man-to-man behind it.
It took until the second half for Saleh to adjust, but even that was infrequent. And while it proved to be enough, what happens in a game where the 49ers’ offense isn’t absolutely on fire?
The personnel is an issue. The Niners played their fifth middle linebacker of the season on Monday.
But bend-but-don’t-break doesn’t work if you break often. Saleh needs to go back to the drawing board.
Ji’Ayir Brown
Yes, he had a very nice forced fumble on special teams, but his pass coverage was downright woeful on Monday. Rivers clearly liked what he saw (for himself) on film and attacked him relentlessly — if not for the fact that he was a 44-year-old quarterback who until recently had been retired for five years, who looks like he throws without a thumb, the results could have been even worse than they already were.
Bears coach and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson had to love what he saw, too.
Jordan Elliott
Was sent to Toledo rep after rep after rep by a patchwork Colts offensive line. Every team in the NFL is seeing the tape and going right after him when he is on the field.
Leave a Reply