The San Francisco 49ers will head into Week 16’s matchup against Philip Rivers and the Indianapolis Colts with a chance to punch their ticket to the NFL playoffs. A win will seal the deal for the 49ers, but they’ll have to contend with a scrappy Colts squad led by a 44-year-old veteran quarterback, who took the Seattle Seahawks the distance in Week 15.
The 49ers can also clinch a playoff spot if the Detroit Lions lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. However, the easiest path is to control their own fate with a win over the Colts, who are getting desperate in the final stretch with the Jacksonville Jaguars sitting atop the AFC South division standings.
Even though there were a lot of jokes about Rivers returning to the field after five years of retirement and now being a grandpa, the veteran quarterback was pretty formidable in his first game back against an excellent Seahawks defense, which didn’t go unnoticed by 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and his star players heading into Week 16’s clash at Levi’s Stadium.
George Kittle Reacts to Being Set to Face Philip Rivers
GettyPhilip Rivers #17 of the Indianapolis Colts
49ers superstar tight end George Kittle was among the many players who talked about facing Rivers this weekend, as he clearly has nothing but respect for the future Hall of Famer.
“He’s a super smart guy,” Kittle said of Rivers during media availability on Thursday. “Kyle [Shanahan] just showed a bunch of clips of him from the Seattle game. This dude has still got it. Mentally, he’s still throwing to the right spots. He sees the coverage, he hits the right guys.
“It’s really impressive that he took five years off, and the only thing he’s been doing is kind of throwing with his kids. I’m assuming he’s not going out to the field throwing 40-yard bombs all the time, but it’s just really impressive to see what he did.”
Before Rivers took on the Seahawks, Kittle revealed he’s a big fan of Rivers.
“I’m a huge fan of Philip Rivers, I love that he doesn’t swear,” Kittle said. “Just having him in the building is probably great for the Colts because he is a legend.”
It’ll be interesting to see how things pan out in Week 16, as it will be a big game for both teams and something has to give on Monday night in the Bay Area.
Christian McCaffrey Shares Thoughts on Philip Rivers’ Return
GettyPhilip Rivers #17 of the Indianapolis Colts
Superstar running back Christian McCaffrey also shared his thoughts on facing Rivers on Monday Night Football after seeing what the veteran quarterback was able to do against the Seahawks a week earlier, via Matt Lively of CBS News Bay Area.
“Hopefully, doesn’t do well against us. But man, I’ve got to say, it’s incredibly impressive,” McCaffrey said of Rivers. “I don’t think people really understand how crazy it is to not play for that long and then to come back and put yourself out there like that. So, utmost respect to one of the best quarterbacks to ever play.”
During the matchup against the Seahawks, Rivers threw for 120 yards, one touchdown and one interception, connecting on 18 of the 27 passes he threw, which isn’t bad for someone who hasn’t thrown a pass in the NFL in five years.
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