49ers Edge Past Panthers in Thrilling Battle, Play-Off Dreams Hang by a Thread

The San Francisco 49ers finally broke their streak and notched consecutive victories for the first time since September, edging past the Carolina Panthers 20-9 this Monday night in Santa Clara. Watching Christian McCaffrey, now sporting the red and gold, barrel down the field with 89 rushing yards and a touchdown against his old squad was something special — and it’s clear that San Francisco’s playoff ambitions just got a serious boost. It’s been a rollercoaster season, especially with Brock Purdy’s rocky half full of interceptions, but the team found a way to grind it out when it really counted. Meanwhile, the Panthers felt the sting of defeat as injury and turnovers disrupted their rhythm, knocking them down a notch in the NFC South hierarchy. With key matchups looming against divisional heavyweights, both teams have plenty on the line this coming Sunday. The drama’s far from over — and that’s why I’m all eyes and ears for what’s next. LEARN MORE

San Francisco 49ers registered back-to-back wins for the first time since September by overcoming the Carolina Panthers 20-9 on Monday.

Running back Christian McCaffrey ran for 89 yards and a touchdown against his former team as the 49ers, who are third in the NFC West, boosted their play-off hopes with victory in Santa Clara, California.

McCaffrey, 29, who also had 24 carries and caught seven passes for 53 yards, was traded from the Panthers to the 49ers in October 2022.

Starting 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy struggled in the first half as he was intercepted three times in the opening 21 minutes, which halted his side’s early offensive progress.

Panthers’ Bryce Young, who threw for a franchise-record 448 yards at Atlanta Falcons last week, finished 18-for-29 for 169 yards. The quarterback had one touchdown pass and threw two interceptions.

His team-mate Jaycee Horn, meanwhile, sustained a head injury during the second quarter after intercepting Purdy twice and missed the rest of the game.

The defeat for Carolina, who are pushing for top spot in the NFC South, sees them drop to second in the table behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

They face NFC West leaders Los Angeles Rams next, while San Francisco take on Cleveland Browns, who are bottom of the AFC North. Both games are on Sunday at 18:00 GMT.