49ers vs. Colts score: Indianapolis weathers the storm, knocks off San Francisco on a rainy Sunday night

The Colts slip and slide their way to 3-4

The 49ers looked oh so smooth out of the gate on Sunday night, defying inclement weather to take a quick 7-0 lead against the Colts at home. But they couldn't weather Indianapolis for the duration of their prime-time matchup, with Jimmy Garoppolo and Co. slipping and sliding in the rain to the tune of four turnovers. On the flip side, Carson Wentz didn't always look pretty, but with three total touchdowns, some gritty crunch-time runs and a couple doses of help from Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman Jr., he helped the Colts secure a much-needed 30-18 victory -- the team's third win in four weeks.

Here are some takeaways from Sunday night's Colts-49ers showdown:

Why the Colts won

On a sloppy, slippery night, they won the turnover battle, and that's what mattered most. From Darius Leonard's punch to force a fumble of Deebo Samuel to Xavier Rhodes outmuscling Samuel on a risky Jimmy Garoppolo throw, the Colts stayed feisty on defense despite a solid start and late push from San Francisco. Wentz deserves just as much credit for the win, though, overcoming a series of off-target and/or inexplicable passes to deliver in crunch time with both his arm and legs. He nearly afforded the 49ers three or four picks, but he also fought for yards on several key runs and hit Pittman Jr. on a handful of big plays, including a game-sealing touchdown with just over two minutes to play. Taylor was also a steady threat after an early fumble, averaging nearly 6 yards per carry as the undisputed RB1.

Why the 49ers lost

Kyle Shanahan's offense refused to overcome itself. The rain certainly didn't help, but boy was discipline a problem for this bunch, which lost 122 yards due to seven penalties. Some of the biggest calls that went against them came on defense, where corners were lured into pass interference on under-thrown deep balls. But they also set back Garoppolo and Co. on several key downs. Speaking of Jimmy, he had a few nice touch passes in the second half to threaten a comeback but was sloppy as a whole, tossing two picks into at least double coverage, fumbling another ball and struggling to hit anyone other than Samuel. Early on, Elijah Mitchell looked capable of carrying the offense, but his impact was minimized as the game wore on.

Turning point

The 49ers were only down five when they got the ball back with seven minutes left in the game. Samuel set the offense up nicely with a 27-yard kick return to the 31-yard line. Three plays into the series, however, Garoppolo tried to force one to Samuel along the left sideline, and Rhodes got physical to snatch the ball and take it all the way to the house. Replay revealed that he had stepped out shortly after nabbing the pick, but still, the interception was a backbreaker, paving the way for the Colts' final touchdown.

Play of the game

Rhodes' pick might've been it had he stayed inbounds and taken it the distance, but his teammate, Pittman Jr., deserves love for going up and plucking Wentz's late deep ball out of the air, then pushing his way into the end zone for the final score:

What's next

The Colts (3-4), who have now won three of their last four in an effort to keep up with the Titans in the AFC South, will return home in Week 8 for a Halloween showdown with ... none other than the Titans. The 49ers (2-4), meanwhile, have now lost four straight and may or may not make another quarterback change ahead of a Week 8 trip to Chicago to take on the Bears.

[Oct 24, 2021 at 11:21 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

So, the Colts are gonna improve to 3-4 and remain 1 game back of the No. 7 seed in the AFC. The 49ers will drop to 2-5 and fall five games back of the first-place Cardinals in the NFC West. They'll be in last place even if the Seahawks lose tomorrow night, thanks to their having lost to Seattle in Week 4.

[Oct 24, 2021 at 11:18 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Yikes, Jimmy. That's gonna do it for this game. 

[Oct 24, 2021 at 11:15 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Deebo Samuel has had back to back really good kick returns. Basically needed to break one more tackle each time to go to the house but just got tripped up.

[Oct 24, 2021 at 11:14 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Wow, Michael Pittman. Way to go up and get that one. That one is gonna seal it. The Colts will advance to 3-4, if this holds.

[Oct 24, 2021 at 11:13 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

That is a really bad play by Dre Kirkpatrick on the back end. Go up and knock the ball down. It's floating up in the air. 

[Oct 24, 2021 at 11:06 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Replay reveals that Rhodes stepped out of bounds shortly after the pick, but still a tremendous play in coverage there, getting physical with Samuel and then securing the ball after the bobbled catch attempt. Huge turnover.

[Oct 24, 2021 at 11:05 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Oh yeah that back leg is definitely out of bounds. Colts still set up with a chance to push the lead to two scores.

[Oct 24, 2021 at 11:05 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Garoppolo tried to force a pass to Samuel in (at least) double coverage and he just couldn't keep Xavier Rhodes away from the ball. And apparently he broke a tackle, regained his balance, and took it all the way to the house.

[Oct 24, 2021 at 10:56 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Some speed from Carson Wentz on the scramble up the gut there, driving through the defense. Took a shot at the end but picked up a big first down. Colts now approaching the red zone.