49ers top Panthers, as Christian McCaffrey beats former team

SANTA CLARA, California. San Francisco 49ers They haven't won often in aesthetically pleasing ways this season, but they've still found ways to win.

It happened again Monday night as the Niners overcame a slew of first-half errors to knock the ball out of the game. Carolina Panthers 20-9 in a game that will be decisive in the NFC playoff chase.

With the win, the 49ers improved to 8-4, including 7-2 against NFC opponents. Carolina fell to 6-6 on the season and 4-3 in NFC play.

According to ESPN's Football Power Index, the Niners increased their playoff hopes from 86% to 91.3% and jeopardized the Panthers' chances as they fell from 22.7% to 18%.

Even on the night when the defender Brock Purdy gave the Panthers plenty of opportunities to establish a lead and perhaps steal a win, the Niners' injury-ravaged defense repeatedly prevented Carolina from capitalizing.

Niners safety G'Air Brown provided the biggest spark with a pair of interceptions, including one in the end zone, and five tackles.

The Niners have multiple wins for the first time since Week 3 as they head to Cleveland to face the Browns on Sunday with a chance to pick up their ninth win.

Statistics you need to know: 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey insisted last week that facing his former team for the first time since the trade in 2022 would not be much different from most other games.

Statistically speaking, that turned out to be true: McCaffrey had over 100 yards from scrimmage for the 10th time this season and had at least 50 rushing yards and 50 receiving yards for the eighth time. This is the 14th time he has reached the 50/50 mark since joining the Niners, tied with Frank Gore the second-highest total in franchise history. He needs three more of those games to break the team record he set in 2023.

McCaffrey finished with 142 yards on 31 touches.

What to do with QB performance: For some reason, Purdy continued to struggle on Monday Night Football. Against the Panthers, he threw three interceptions in the first half, the second time in his career, and he also threw a second in the MNF game against Baltimore on December 25, 2023. In five career starts Monday night, he had 11 interceptions.

Purdy bounced back a bit in the second half as coach Kyle Shanahan picked up some easy shots off screens and short passes. Purdy finished 23 of 32 for 193 yards with one touchdown on three picks. But it was still a troubling outing for Purdy after making an encouraging return from a right big toe injury last week against Arizona.

Most amazing performance: Protection. While the offense spent much of the first half suffering turnovers and near turnovers, the Niners' defense repeatedly answered the bell, allowing three points off those leads. The Panthers managed just 230 total yards and 5.3 yards per game, including a season-high in rushing yards (72) and first downs (three) in the first half.

There is no end for the unit Nick Bosa and midfielder Fred WarnerMuch has been said about the offense having to carry the load, but San Francisco's defense came through when it needed to on Monday night. — Nick Waggoner

Next game: against. Cleveland Browns (1:00 p.m. ET Sunday)

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Carolina had a chance to take the lead in the NFC South for the first time since 2017 this late in the season with a win, but the quarterback Bryce Young couldn't carry the offense a week after throwing for a franchise-record 448 yards in an overtime win over Atlanta.

The loss left the Panthers a half game behind Tampa Bay (6-5) in the division with their next game against the NFC leader. Los Angeles Rams (8-2). They are coming off two of three games against the Bucs, but they have the advantage. Seattle Seahawks (8-3) between them.

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay enters the easiest part of its schedule against Arizona Cardinals, New Orleans Saints and Falcons.

That the Panthers have to depend on Young to carry them now that three teams in a row have shut out the game (69 yards on 13 carries) should be concerning. Also concerning is that Carolina may have to face the pass-happy Rams next week without a Pro Bowl corner. Jaycee Hornsuffered a concussion at the end of the first half.

What to do with QB performance: The first half set the tone. Young had a lower passer rating (25.0) than the 49ers' Purdy (48.4), although Purdy threw three interceptions. As a result, the Panthers had the fewest total yards (72) and first downs (three) in the entire half this season. Young's numbers were slightly better in the second half, but his second interception with 6:27 remaining effectively sealed Carolina's fate and left him 0-2 in MNF and 0-3 in primetime games.

Biggest hole in the game plan: Stop of former Panther running back McCaffrey. You'd think defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero would have loaded up the defense to stop a player Carolina traded to the 49ers midway through the 2022 season, but McCaffrey had 142 yards from scrimmage, including a 12-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. He's the one player the Panthers weren't willing to let beat them.

Statistics you need to know: The Panthers became the first team to trail at halftime (10-3) despite three defensive interceptions since the 2021 Browns (Week 12 at Ravens). Before Monday's game, Cleveland was the only team to do so in the last 10 years. — David Newton

Next game: V Los Angeles Rams (4:25 pm ET Sunday)