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Christian McCaffrey got his revenge against the Carolina Panthers, leading the San Francisco 49ers to a 20-9 victory over his former team.
It was a sloppy NFC battle on both sides, but McCaffrey was a steady force all night.
San Francisco’s defense was solid. They allowed only nine points and 12 first downs.
Monday’s win keeps the 49ers (8-4) within striking distance of the NFC West leader Los Angeles Rams (9-2) and second-place Seattle Seahawks (8-3).
The Panthers (6-6) are a half-game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-5) in the NFC South.
Here are the winners and losers of Monday night’s contest.
winner
Christian McCaffrey shines against his former team
San Francisco’s first five plays went to McCaffrey. The opening series was a preview of what was to come. The 49ers’ offensive game plan centered around McCaffrey.
The versatile running back was busy against his former team, gaining 89 yards on the ground with one rushing touchdown and 53 yards receiving. He had 31 total touches and 142 yards from scrimmage.
McCaffrey leads the NFL with 1,581 yards from scrimmage.
Safety Ziair Brown, 49ers Defense
Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh had plenty of words of encouragement as San Francisco shut down Carolina’s offense.
The 49ers defense held the Panthers to 1-7 on third down and totaled 230 yards of offense.
Ziair Brown had two interceptions.
The 49ers’ defense is without its two best players in Fred Warner and Nick Bosa, both of whom are out for the season.
Warner and Bosa are invaluable to the 49ers, but San Francisco’s defense has functioned well without those two stars.
Jaycee Horn, Mike Jackson
The Panthers scored on Brock Purdy three times in the first half.
Horn made a great play on the football when he got in front of Jauan Jennings on DeGroot and intercepted Purdy’s pass.
Horn returned the interception 14 yards to San Francisco’s own 16-yard line.
Unfortunately for Carolina, Bryce Young was picked off four plays later.
Jackson intercepted a deep pass from Purdy in the end zone early in the second quarter.
The interceptor squad was not finished.
Midway through the second quarter, Horn again intercepted Purdy in the middle of the field.
The Panthers’ offense was unable to convert three turnovers into many points. Carolina was only able to muster three points off three turnovers in the first half.
Horn was more successful at catching the football than any other Panthers offensive player. None of the Panthers’ pass catchers had more than one catch in the first half.
The night ended early for Horn. Carolina coach confirmed that he would miss the second half of the game due to a concussion.
As a result of Monday’s game, Tampa Bay regained sole possession of first place in the NFC South over the Buccaneers (6-5) despite a three-game losing streak.
loser
Carolina Complementary Football (Offense)
The Panthers’ defense picked off Brock Purdy three times in the first half.
However, the Panthers’ offense, led by Bryce Young, has been lackluster since changing hands. Young was intercepted four plays after Carolina’s defense got the first take.
The Panthers’ offense managed just three points out of three first-half takeaways by the defense.
Young and the Panthers failed to complete a drive of more than 26 yards in the first half. At halftime, they had just 72 total yards.
Bryce Young, Panthers offense performs poorly
Young set a Panthers franchise record with 448 passing yards last week. He followed up that performance with a dud.
The Panthers quarterback had two interceptions during his offensive struggles. He passed for 169 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.
Young threw a no-good interception in the red zone during the first quarter. Young’s interception came on the fourth play after Jaycee Horn recorded Carolina’s interception.
Young had completed just six passes for 28 yards at halftime.
The Panthers went 0-2 in the red zone and only managed one first down. No pass catcher had more than 36 yards receiving.
Brock Purdy’s rough first half
Both offenses in the first half were terrible.
San Francisco’s struggles were due to Purdy’s three interceptions in the first half. He was off target with all three interceptions. The 49ers quarterback struggled with accuracy throughout the second quarter.
Christian McCaffrey was the safety valve for the 49ers offense for the majority of the game.
Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TylerDragon.
