There are some nasty weather conditions in the Bay Area for Sunday’s matchup between the 49ers and Colts. But Indianapolis has taken advantage of a turnover late in the second quarter to take a 13-12 lead into halftime.
On third-and-12 from the San Francisco 18, receiver Deebo Samuel caught a pass near the sticks but linebacker Darius Leonard punched it out from his right arm. Cornerback Anthony Chesley was there to pick up the loose ball, giving Indianapolis a key extra possession deep in San Francisco territory.
The 49ers were flagged for a third defensive pass interference penalty in the first half, this one in the end zone to put the Colts on the 1-yard line. A couple of plays later, Carson Wentz kept a read-option and dove into the end zone to give Indianapolis a one-point lead.
The Colts tried a two-point conversion but the pass fell incomplete.
The rain has clearly affected both sides, as there have been a combined five fumbles between the two teams. Both quarterbacks dropped a snap at the line of scrimmage in the second quarter as the rain picked up. But both of those fumbles were inconsequential because the QBs were able to recover them.
Wentz is 6-of-13 passing for 66 yards with a touchdown for the Colts. And Jimmy Garoppolo is 5-of-12 passing for 56 yards for the 49ers.
But the conditions are good for the run game. Colts lead back Jonathan Taylor has 74 yards on 11 carries. San Francisco’s Elijah Mitchell has 93 yards on 14 carries with a touchdown. He picked up 57 of those yards on the 49ers’ first drive.
But San Francisco is 0-of-7 on third down, which is keeping the team from getting anything consistent going on offense.
On the injury front, cornerback Xavier Rhodes had an apparent pregame issue, with reporters noting he wasn’t on the field for some elements. While Rhodes tried to play, he had to exit and has been announced as questionable with a calf injury.
The Colts will have the ball first to begin the second half.