Three Ways Colts Can Cruise to Victory vs. 49ers

The Indianapolis Colts must excel in these spots to beat the San Francisco 49ers.

Dec 14, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) rushes against the Seattle Seahawks during the second half at Lumen Field. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

It's been just over a week since Philip Rivers came out of retirement to rejoin the Indianapolis Colts, and he'll be getting his second start of the season as Indy hosts the San Francisco 49ers for a Monday Night Football showdown.

The Colts' playoff chances are hanging by a thread, but a win against the 49ers could be the spark they need to make one final postseason push.

The Colts are currently riding a four-game losing streak, which is the fourth-longest active streak in the league. If the Colts want to end that, they'll have to dominate the 49ers in these three areas on Monday night.

1. Expose San Francisco's Run Defense

Nov 30, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) warms up before a game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Over the past few weeks, the 49ers' run defense has been exposed by some of the league's worst teams. Tennessee Titans back Tony Pollard ran for 104 yards on 14 carries, and Cleveland Browns back Quinshon Judkins ran for 91 yards on 23 carries.

Those types of numbers are good news for Jonathan Taylor, who still leads the league in rushing yards entering Week 16. The Colts gave Taylor 25 carries against the Seattle Seahawks last week, but it's entirely possible that number increases on Monday.

We all saw how limited Rivers is, which forces the Colts to put the ball on the ground. One issue is, Rivers primarily runs plays out of the shotgun. Taylor thrives when the quarterback is under center, because he gets a bit of a running start and a moment to analyze the line to see where the gaps are.

If the Colts can use Rivers under center more, they may have a good chance of getting some breakaway rushes from Taylor.

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2. Win the Turnover Battle

Nov 30, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts safety Cam Bynum (0) celebrates with teammates after an interception during the first half against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

The Colts ended their league-best 13-game turnover streak last week against the Seahawks, but they can't afford the same against San Francisco. Turnovers that give Rivers great field position are what will fuel this weakened offense.

Brock Purdy has been one of the worst quarterbacks in the league when it comes to making throws over 20 air yards, and the Colts' secondary will need to capitalize on that to give their offense a better look at putting points on the board.

Cam Bynum leads the Colts in interceptions this season, and Indy's $60 million man will need to prove why he was brought in on primetime. If the Colts can force at least two turnovers, I see their odds of victory skyrocketing.

3. Special Teams Returns

Dec 14, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Ameer Abdullah (26) returns a punt against the Seattle Seahawks during the third quarter at Lumen Field. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Last week, we all saw how important special teams are when the Seahawks returned their kickoff to the 37-yard line to give Sam Darnold a shortened field with under a minute left on the clock.

The Colts need some great returns from Ameer Abdullah and Anthony Gould/Coleman Owen on Monday. Owen was the go-to punt returner with Gould sidelined last week, and he only made one return for two yards.

The Colts' special teams must give Rivers as short a field as possible. Indy can't afford to punt as much as they did last week, because even though they didn't allow a touchdown, the Seahawks were put in scoring range far too often.