Colts' late-season collapse puts them on cusp of missing playoffs

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Philip Rivers gave the Indianapolis Colts a chance Monday night.

Their defense did not.

After a 48-27 loss to San Francisco, Colts coach Shane Steichen struggled to explain how his team allowed the 49ers to score so many points, accumulate 440 yards and never force a punt in a home game Indy desperately needed to win.

Instead, it's simply the next chapter in a late-season collapse that has left Indy's once-promising playoffs floundering.

“I told those guys in there, like, ‘Shoot, we signed up for 17 of these things, and we’ve got a division opponent, and we’re not out of this thing,'” Steichen said after the Colts lost their fifth straight. "Until they tell us we’re done, we’re freaking fighting like crazy, and so we’re going to come back in this week, get ready to work and be ready to go for Jacksonville at home.”

The reality is, yes, the Colts (8-7) still could sneak in by beating the Jaguars (11-4) and Houston (10-5) in their final two games. But they'd also need Baltimore lose one of its last two games, the Texans to also lose Saturday against the Chargers and hope the tiebreakers fall their way.

Anything else would cement their place as the sixth team since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to miss the playoffs after starting at least 8-2. The most recent to do it was the 1995 Oakland Raiders, who lost their final six games.

Rivers has experienced these kinds of slides and continues to insist the Colts can fix their season.

But little has gone right the second half of the season.

Daniel Jones' strong start to the season ended because of two injuries, the second being a season-ending torn Achilles tendon that led to Rivers coming out of retirement after five seasons. The injury and quarterback change have allowed defenses to focus on running back Jonathan Taylor.

And the defense that was supposed to get even better over the second half with the addition of two-time All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner has only gotten more banged up. The result: Indy is on the outside of the playoffs for a fifth straight year with little sign they can turn things around in time to salvage their season.

“I mean, we’ve got to find a way to finish strong and knock out these two next opponents,” Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner said after returning from a five-game absence Monday. "Everybody has got to give a little bit more, that’s what it is.”

Josh Downs and Alec Pierce. When Rivers returned, he noted there were 14 players left on the roster from his one and only previous season in Indy. Yet Downs, a third-year receiver, and Pierce, a fourth-year receiver, have emerged as Rivers' favorite options. The 44-year-old grandfather threw a total of 13 passes their way Monday, resulting in nine catches, 151 yards and two TDs.

The secondary. When the Colts traded for Gardner, they anticipated using three cornerbacks to shut down opponents. Instead, Gardner has missed three straight games with a strained calf and Charvarius Ward is on his second stint on injured reserve with a concussion. Their absences were more than noticeable as 49ers QB Brock Purdy picked apart Indy's pass defense.

Rivers. For 3 1/2 quarters, the eight-time Pro Bowler looked like he had taken a trip back in time. He was efficient, on time and even threw the ball down the field reasonably well. Sure, his arm strength and mobility may be waning. And, yes, his late interception was returned for a score to seal Indy's fate. But Rivers showed, even at his age, he's still capable of winning games.

Luke Tenuta. The third-year offensive tackle logged 26 snaps at Seattle after LT Bernhard Raimann left with an elbow injury. But the Colts went in a different direction Monday. They moved rookie Jalen Travis from right tackle to left tackle, moved right guard Matt Goncalves to right tackle and inserted Dalton Tucker at right guard. Tenuta, meanwhile, played only two snaps Monday — even after starting center Tanor Bortolini left early with a concussion.

Now that Buckner is back from his neck injury, the Colts have two major concerns — the secondary and the offensive line. Ward will miss another game this week on IR, and while the Colts need Gardner on the field, it's unclear whether he'll return on a short Christmas week. With RT Braden Smith also on injured reserve (concussion and neck) and the possibility of Raimann and Bortolini missing Sunday's game, the Colts could again be shuffling the lineup.

145, 98 — Indy has allowed opponents to score 145 points during this five-game losing streak while the Colts have only 98.

Despite the long odds, the Colts will try to play their way into the playoffs. If they can't, they could give QBs Anthony Richardson or Riley Leonard a chance to show what they can do.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, bottom, smiles after catching a touchdown pass against Indianapolis Colts safety Nick Cross (20) during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren (84) cannot catch a pass while being defended by San Francisco 49ers cornerback Upton Stout, top left, and cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) runs past Indianapolis Colts defensive end Laiatu Latu (97) and defensive tackle Grover Stewart (90) during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (14) catches a touchdown pass against San Francisco 49ers cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers (17) passes while pressured by San Francisco 49ers defensive end Clelin Ferrell during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department has released tens of thousands more documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, a tranche that included multiple mentions of President Donald Trump but added little new revelatory information to the long-anticipated public file on the late financier and convicted sex offender.

The release is the most voluminous so far and comes after a massive public campaign for transparency into the U.S. government’s Epstein investigations.

Many of the mentions of Trump in the file came from news clippings, though it includes an email from a prosecutor pointing out the flights that Trump took on Epstein’s private jet during the 1990s.

The two men were friends for years before a falling out. Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. The Justice Department issued a statement Tuesday that some documents contain “untrue and sensationalist claims” about Trump made shortly before the 2020 election — and said one document, purported to be a letter from Epstein to Larry Nassar, a sports doctor convicted of sexually abusing Olympic athletes, had been deemed fake.

Here are some takeaways:

Among the mentions of Trump in the latest batch of the Epstein files is a note from a federal prosecutor from January 2020 that said Trump had flown on the financier’s private plane more often than had been previously known.

An assistant U.S. attorney from the Southern District of New York said in an email that flight records the office received on Jan. 6, 2020, showed that Trump was on Epstein’s jet “many more times than previously has been reported (or that we were aware).”

The prosecutor who flagged the Trump mentions in the flight logs said they did so because lawyers “didn’t want any of this to be a surprise down the road.”

His travels on Epstein’s plane spanned the time that would likely be covered in any criminal charges against Epstein’s co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell. Trump was listed as a passenger on at least eight flights between 1993 and 1996, and on at least four of those flights, Maxwell was also there, according to the email.

On one of those eight flights, in 1993, Trump and Epstein were the only two passengers listed in the flight logs. On another flight, the three passengers listed in records are Epstein, Trump, and a redacted individual, who was 20 years old at the time. Two other flights included two women -- whose names were redacted in follow-up emails — identified as potential witnesses in a Maxwell case.

Several additional Trump trips on Epstein’s plane had been previously disclosed during Maxwell’s criminal proceedings.

Asked for comment about the email, the White House pointed to a Justice Department statement saying Monday’s release contained “unfounded and false” claims against the president submitted to the FBI shortly before the 2020 election, but they were nevertheless being released for full transparency.

Later Tuesday, the department said on social media that the FBI had confirmed the purported Nassar letter “is FAKE” based on the handwriting, Virginia postmark and return address, which did not include Epstein's jail or inmate number, both required for outgoing mail.

“This fake letter serves as a reminder that just because a document is released by the Department of Justice does not make the allegations or claims within the document factual,” the department said in a post on X.

The latest release also showed that Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s southern Florida club, was served with a subpoena in 2021 for its employment records. The disclosure came as part of an email chain in which lawyers for the Southern District of New York and an attorney in touch with representatives for the Trump Organization discussed the employment status of someone whose name was redacted.

Trump complained that the files were a distraction from the work he and other Republicans are doing for the country.

Speaking during an unrelated event at his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida, on Monday, the president blamed Democrats and some Republicans for the controversy.

“What this whole thing is with Epstein is a way of trying to deflect from the tremendous success that the Republican Party has,” Trump said.

He also expressed frustration about the famous people shown with Epstein in photos released by the Justice Department — people who he said may not have known him but ended up in the shot anyway.

“You probably have pictures being exposed of other people that innocently met Jeffrey Epstein years ago, many years ago. And they’re, you know, highly respected bankers and lawyers and others,” Trump said.

Well-known people shown in the files include former President Bill Clinton, the late pop star Michael Jackson and singer Diana Ross. The mere inclusion of someone’s name or images in files from the investigation does not imply wrongdoing.

The latest release also includes files that put the U.K.'s former Prince Andrew back in the headlines.

Among those documents is correspondence between Maxwell and someone who signs off with the initial “A.”

The email exchange includes other references that suggest Maxwell’s correspondent may be Andrew. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The August 2001 email from someone identified only as “The Invisible Man,” said he is “up here at Balmoral Summer Camp for the Royal Family,” an apparent reference to the Scottish estate where the royal family has traditionally taken their late summer holidays.

“A” writes: “How’s LA? Have you found me some new inappropriate friends?”

The writer says he has left “the RN” and refers to the challenges of looking after “the Girls.” Andrew retired from the Royal Navy in 2001 and has two daughters.

Andrew, one of King Charles III’s younger brothers, was stripped of the right to be called a prince and his other royal titles and honors in October, amid continued publicity about his links to Epstein and concerns about the potential damage to the rest of the royal family. He is now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

Andrew has repeatedly denied committing any crimes, including having sex with Virginia Giuffre, who alleged that she was trafficked by Epstein and had sex with Andrew when she was 17.

The documents also reveal months of sometimes testy negotiations as U.S. federal prosecutors tried but ultimately failed to secure Mountbatten-Windsor's testimony. Talks foundered amid complaints that each side had made misleading statements to the press and a seeming inability to bridge the differences between the U.S. and British legal systems.

Trump tried for months to keep the records sealed before relenting to political pressure, including from some fellow Republicans, though he eventually signed a bill mandating the release of most of the Justice Department’s files on Epstein.

Monday's overnight release was the biggest dump yet, including nearly 30,000 more pages.

It includes news clippings, varied tips to law enforcement and surveillance videos from the New York jail where Epstein was held before taking his own life in 2019. Much was already in the public domain.

The law called for the files to be released within 30 days, but the Justice Department has instead released them in stages starting Friday. Officials have said they’re going slowly to protect victims, though some women assaulted by Epstein have spoken out publicly to call for greater transparency.

And the administration is facing fierce accusations that it is withholding too much information. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the tens of thousands of files released still left “more questions than answers.” He pointed to a 2019 FBI email that mentions 10 people under investigation as possible co-conspirators but contains few additional details.

Associated Press writer Darlene Superville in Washington and Danica Kirka in London contributed to this report.

An email that was included in the U.S. Department of Justice release of the Jeffrey Epstein files is photographed Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)

President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)