Wk 16 Finale: Colts, 49ers Meet on MNF With Playoff Stakes and Key Absences!

Injuries, postseason positioning, and a historically one-sided series frame Monday Night Football in Indianapolis.

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Week 16 concludes Monday night as the Indianapolis Colts host the San Francisco 49ers at Lucas Oil Stadium, with postseason implications on both sides. San Francisco enters at 10–4 and has already clinched a playoff berth, while Indianapolis sits at 8–6 and remains on the fringe of the AFC playoff picture.

The 49ers secured their postseason spot following Detroit’s loss to Pittsburgh, allowing San Francisco to shift focus toward seeding. The Colts, meanwhile, remain in the hunt with a narrow path forward, carrying a five percent playoff probability entering the night that could rise to eleven percent with a win or fall to two percent with a loss.

Indianapolis enters with multiple key absences. Quarterback Anthony Richardson is ruled out, along with offensive tackle Bernhard Raimann and wide receiver Anthony Gould. Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is listed as questionable, while the Colts continue to navigate a four-game losing streak since Week 11.

Indianapolis Colts Injury Report

OUT:

• Anthony Richardson (QB) — eye

• Bernhard Raimann (OT) — elbow

• Sauce Gardner (CB) — calf

• Anthony Gould (WR) — foot

• Daniel Scott (S) — knee

QUESTIONABLE:

• DeForest Buckner (DT) — neck

San Francisco also faces personnel challenges. Linebacker Renardo Green and wide receiver Ricky Pearsall are ruled out, while defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos remains questionable. Despite those absences, the 49ers enter with a top-five passing offense.

San Francisco 49ers Injury Report

OUT:

• Renardo Green (CB) — neck

• Ricky Pearsall (WR) — knee/ankle

• Kurtis Rourke (QB) — knee

QUESTIONABLE:

• Yetur Gross-Matos (DE) — hamstring

Matchup History

• Colts lead series 27-19-0 (since 1950)

• Colts have won five straight meetings

• Last matchup: Colts won 30-18 (2021)

• Only overtime meeting: Colts won 26-23 (2017)

Statistically, Indianapolis ranks eleventh in passing and fifth in rushing, while San Francisco counters with a fifth-ranked passing attack. The matchup also features one of the league’s premier running back duels between Christian McCaffrey and Jonathan Taylor, each eclipsing seventeen hundred scrimmage yards this season.

Stat Check:

Colts offense: 11th in passing yards per game (229), 5th in rushing yards per game (128.5)

49ers defense: 23rd in passing yards allowed per game (227.6), 12th in rushing yards allowed per game (106.1)

49ers offense: 5th in passing yards per game (246.1), 26th in rushing yards per game (101.4)

Colts defense: 30th in passing yards allowed per game (247.6), 4th in rushing yards allowed per game (95.1)

Indianapolis will don its “Indiana Nights” alternate uniforms, while San Francisco will take the field in its traditional white and gold road combination.

So NFL fans, what do you think? Do injuries or matchup history matter more in this game? Let’s Talk About It!