The San Francisco 49ers have already clinched a playoff berth before their Week 16 game against the Indianapolis Colts. Despite that, it has been a shootout through the first quarter with both teams knotted at 14.
Philip Rivers may be taking up the spotlight, but this game has bigger implications than just him. The 49ers’ offense has been great, but their main receiver has been quiet as Jauan Jennings hasn’t gotten any action so far.
Jauan Jennings’ Slow Start
Jennings has been a non-factor throughout the first quarter. The 49ers are looking good, though, as they move the ball with ease through a Colts defense without Sauce Gardner. The 28-year-old receiver has not been able to exploit in the absence of the All-Pro cornerback and has no catches.
Jennings is an important piece to the 49ers’ offense. With George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey also on the field, the offense can punish defenses in all different ways. Getting their veteran wideout involved will be huge for San Francisco.
Jennings is still catchless at halftime. The 49ers hold their touchdown lead into halftime. Brock Purdy is playing well, with three touchdowns, and has completed 13 of 17 of his throws for 165 yards.
Jennings is the 69th-ranked wide receiver in PFSN’s WR Impact metric with an impact score of 70.2. As the clear WR1 in San Francisco, Jennings is shockingly unproductive tonight. The 49ers have dealt with injuries to their offensive weapons for most of the season, but with them all back on the field, the offense looks dangerous.
The 49ers are putting pressure on the top teams in the NFC West. The division is a bloodbath, and with a win, they’d be tied with the Rams for second in the division at 11-4. With two tough games remaining after this one, if the 49ers win out, they will steal the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and the road to the Super Bowl in their conference, which will be played in San Francisco, will go through San Francisco.
They need to handle business against the Colts first, but after the results of the last few weeks, the No. 1 seed is in play, and San Francisco can start to get excited about their chances.
The 49ers have weapons on both sides of the ball and are getting healthy at the right time. They are not a team to be messed with and would be a tough out in the playoffs for whoever plays them.
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.
