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In the final game of what has been a wild Week 16, the Indianapolis Colts host the San Francisco 49ers on "Monday Night Football."

The Colts come into this game starting 44-year-old Philip Rivers at quarterback after the season-ending Achilles injury to Daniel Jones. They have lost four consecutive games after starting the season 8-2, and they've fallen back to the fringes of the playoff race. They probably need to win out to have any hope of making it to the postseason, though they will technically still be alive even if they lose.

The 49ers are coming off a win over the Titans following their bye week, their fourth consecutive win after a loss to the Rams had dropped them to 6-4 on the year. The playoff-bound Niners got another massive favor from the Seahawks on Thursday night, and they now control their own destiny in the race for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. 

Will the Niners get the first of the three straight wins they need, or will the Colts keep their playoff hopes off the life-support machine? We'll find out soon enough. Before we break down some key storylines, here's a look at how you can watch the game.

Where to watch Colts vs. 49ers

  • Date: Monday, Dec. 22 | Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
  • Location: Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis)
  • TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free) 
  • Follow: CBS Sports App
  • Odds: 49ers -5.5, O/U 46.5 via DraftKings Sportsbook

Key Storylines

  • 49ers playoff picture. The 49ers clinched a playoff berth on Sunday thanks to the Lions' loss to the Steelers. They are currently in third place in the NFC West and sixth place in the NFC. However, they will win the NFC West and the No. 1 seed if they win all three of their remaining games. They control their own destiny here, as following this game against Indianapolis they have showdowns with the Bears in Week 17 and the Seahawks in Week 18. If they win all three games, they'll own the tiebreakers over each of the Bears, Seahawks and Rams, claiming the top spot in the conference no matter what else happens.
  • Colts playoff picture. The Colts are currently in eighth place in the AFC and are technically still alive in the playoff hunt. If they win this game, their hopes will remain alive for at least another week. If they lose, they are officially out of the race for the AFC South title, but they would just barely still be alive for a wild-card spot. They'd need to win out and get a ton of help in order to make the playoffs, though. An Indianapolis loss would also clinch playoff berths for the Jaguars, Bills and Chargers leaving only one spot for the Colts and Texans.
  • Philip Rivers, Game 2. Rivers survived his return game last week against the Seahawks largely by getting rid of the ball as quickly as humanly possible -- his average time to throw was just 2.41 seconds, which would be the fastest time in the league if he qualified for the leaderboard. Rivers went went 18 of 27 for 120 yards, one touchdown and one interception, and 16 of his 27 pass attempts were released with 2.5 seconds of the snap. On the throws that weren't let go quickly, Rivers went only 6 of 11 for 38 yards and a pick. 
  • CMC's 1000-1000 quest. Christian McCaffrey has 922 rushing yards and 820 receiving yards on the season. He needs just 78 rushing yards to hit 1,000, but 180 receiving yards to do it. That means he needs to average 60 receiving yards per game to get there. The Colts have allowed just 364 receiving yards to running backs this season, though, the eighth-fewest in the NFL heading into Week 16. McCaffrey already has a 1,000-1,000 season under his belt, but that came all the way back in 2019. If he does it again, he'll be the first player ever with two such seasons. 

Colts vs. 49ers pick, prediction

Count me among those that did not actually think that Rivers' return to the field was at all impressive. He looked like a 44-year-old grandfather who can't really throw the ball. Seemingly everyone can throw on the 49ers, so maybe he gets going here, but I doubt it. On the other side of the ball, I think San Francisco can get something going against the Indianapolis defense. Even without Ricky Pearsall, there are just too many weapons for them to get shut down, especially if Sauce Gardner is not going to be out there. Pick: 49ers -5.5, Over 46.5