Philip Rivers nearly led the Indianapolis Colts to a stunning road victory over the Seattle Seahawks last weekend. It marked the veteran quarterback's first game action since the 2020 NFL season, as he came out of retirement to help Indianapolis after starter Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending injury.
The San Francisco 49ers defense will be Rivers' next test.
For the visiting 49ers, a win in Indianapolis on Monday night would clinch a playoff berth. The Colts, meanwhile, are trying to snap a four-game losing streak and keep their once-promising postseason hopes from fading away completely.
While Garrett Podell of CBS Sports doesn't predict the outcome of the game, one bold prediction for Week 16 is that Rivers will carve up the 49ers defense, surpassing 300 passing yards against the 10-4 San Francisco squad.
"Philip Rivers nearly led the Indianapolis Colts to a win in an 18-16 loss at Seattle in his first start in 1,800 days, an accomplishment in itself," Podell explained. "Still, the performance was uneven: Rivers threw for just 120 yards with one touchdown and one interception, completing only two of eight throws of 10-plus air yards. He finished 1-for-5 for two yards when pressured and relied heavily on short throws behind the line of scrimmage."
Podell believes the matchup against the 49ers sets up far more favorably for the veteran quarterback, largely because San Francisco struggles to generate pressure. The 49ers rank last in the NFL with just 16 total sacks this season—six fewer than the next-lowest teams (the Ravens and Jets at 22).
"Rivers will take advantage of the lack of pressure, even at 44 years old, and post a 300-yard passing day against one of the NFC's top teams," Podell added.
49ers general manager John Lynch never envisioned preparing to face Rivers this season, but he acknowledged the quarterback remains a dangerous opponent despite his long absence from the game.
"Philip, I thought he looked good last week. I really did," Lynch said during a Friday radio interview. "He made really good decisions. He got the ball out of his hands. Sure, did they take the ball down the field much? No, they didn't. But, I think, one week in, we have to be prepared for everything. ... I played against Philip. Then, I broadcasted a lot of his games. This guy was one of the greats of all time.
"Yeah, he's 44, but he's going to get the ball—that's the one thing he did against a hellacious D-line, up there in Seattle—he got rid of the ball, and he got it to the right people. He ran their offense, and he kept them in position to win the game. So we've got to be prepared for everything, and we have great respect for this team."