QB Brock Purdy and RB Christian McCaffrey help lead 49ers past Colts

INDIANAPOLIS -- The San Francisco 49ers ' long wait to Monday night's game against the Indianapolis Colts was made much easier when the Pittsburgh Steelers knocked off the Detroit Lions on Sunday night to wrap up the Niners' spot in the NFC playoffs. Lest the Niners appear content with simply punching their ticket to the dance, they trampled the Colts on Monday with much bigger goals in mind. At 11-4 and aided by the Seattle Seahawks ' win against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night, the 49ers now have a direct line to the NFC's top seed. That path doesn't take much explaining: If the 49ers win their next two games -- home contests against the Chicago Bears and Seahawks -- they will wrap up the NFC West division and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. What's more, Super Bowl LX will be played at Levi's Stadium, so if the Niners can pull that off, they won't need to get on a plane again this season. Of course, the Niners will face far tougher tests against the Bears and Seahawks than they did Monday night. But if the offense can get healthy and continue to roll -- the Niners haven't punted in more than 133 minutes of game time -- they will have a chance to find themselves in an ideal position entering the postseason. Here's what to know from both teams after the 49ers beat the Colts on Monday night: San Francisco 49ers (11-4) Turning point: In a game that appeared destined to be a shootout from the opening two drives, the Niners, who had the ball second, got the first takeaway of the night midway through the first quarter to take their first lead. With 7:14 to go in the opening quarter, Colts returner Ameer Abdullah received the kickoff and cut inside as Niners safety Ji'Ayir Brown remained under control and redirected to Abdullah. Brown reached in and punched the ball loose as tight end Jake Tonges recovered as Indianapolis' 26. Five plays later, the Niners scored again to take a 14-7 lead. What to make of the QB performance: "Monday Night Football" hasn't been kind to quarterback Brock Purdy of late, as he had thrown five touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his previous five appearances entering this game. But Purdy shrugged those woes off against a depleted Colts secondary, posting his first career five-touchdown game. He's the first Niners quarterback to throw for five scores on MNF and the first Niners quarterback to throw for five or more touchdowns in a regular season or playoff game since Steve Young in Super Bowl XXIX against the Chargers. Purdy finished 25-of-34 for 295 yards with one interception. Most surprising performance: The 49ers' run game has struggled to gain traction all season, and Monday didn't seem the most likely time for that to change against a Colts defense that entered tied for second in yards per carry allowed (3.8). But San Francisco's offensive line was up to the task with...

Preview: ~500 words