INDIANAPOLIS — Despite a stellar performance from 44-year-old quarterback Philip Rivers, the Colts defense held off the 49ers 48-27 on Monday Night Football.
Rivers was 23-for-35 for 277 yards, two touchdowns, one interception and a 97.0 passer rating, but the New York Times playoff simulator dropped the Colts’ playoff odds to 2 percent … but that means there’s still a chance.
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How the Colts made the NFL playoffs
Houston must lose to the Chargers on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. A win over the Texans moves them to 11 wins on the season, while the Colts can’t muster up to 10 wins to eliminate them before Sunday’s Week 17 game against Jacksonville.
If the Texans lose, the Colts need to beat Jacksonville on Sunday and beat the Texans in the season finale. The head-to-head, division record, co-game and conference record tiebreakers were all tied, so heading into the fifth tiebreaker – Power of Victory – in which case the Colts held a slim .442-.438 lead.
The New York Times simulator gives the Colts a 45% chance of making the playoffs in this scenario.
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Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts All season long. Get more coverage with IndyStarTV and the Colts Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared in the Indianapolis Star: Can the Colts make the playoffs this year?