Not much change in the NFC West this week. The key players, the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, and Seattle Seahawks, all won. The Cardinals lost again. There’s not much left on the schedule for the Rams. So, unless they go into a massive skid, they probably can win the West. It’s not certain, but there’s not much hope, especially with that team we saw on Sunday night.

The 49ers took care of business against a Carolina Panthers team whose only win against a team above .500 was the Green Bay Packers, and it showed. If Brock Purdy wasn’t...

49ers win turnover-crazed game, beat Panthers 20-9 despite three Brock Purdy pics, rise to 8-4 (paywall)
“Ahead of his second interception, he faced a multiple-choice question. Purdy stepped up in the pocket to evade pressure; two possible answers presented themselves. He could have scrambled for a first down and more with a lot of green grass in front of him. Tight end George Kittle was also open on an intermediate route across the middle. It seemed there was no wrong answer, but Purdy found one. A floater behind wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, tightly covered by cornerback Mike Jackson on a...

The San Francisco 49ers improved to 8-4 on Sunday with a 20-9 win over the Carolina Panthers, getting back-to-back wins for the first time since Week 3.

It was a strong defensive performance from the 49ers, who forced two turnovers, kept Bryce Young in check, and allowed only two scores on nine drives.

Offensively, San Francisco overcame three ugly Brock Purdy interceptions as they had 147 rushing yards on 38 attempts, while kicker Matt Gay had two field goals in his debut.

Here are three quick takeaways from the 49ers 20-9 win over the Panthers on Monday night.

**Saleh has...

The San Francisco 49ers received the opening kickoff. Christian McCaffrey kicked things off by picking up 11 yards on 3rd & 10. Ricky Pearsall followed that up with a six-yard reception on 3rd & 3. McCaffrey would rush for another first down on third down, making it three in a row for the offense.

The 49ers picked up five first downs on their way to the red zone. The blocking was excellent, the running game was diverse, and it looked as though the offense was clicking on all cylinders.

It looked as though the offense may stall, but Brock Purdy...

The San Francisco 49ers host the Carolina Panthers. Leading up to this game, ESPN’s Ryan Clark said, “There’s no team with a winning record that can look as bad as they can,” when talking about the Panthers. He said, “Once they are punched in the face, they don’t have the requisite answers to punch back.”

Can the 49ers be the one to throw the first jab? Will they land a haymaker? Last week was the first time the Niners held a first-quarter lead since Week 5. Perhaps a convincing road win will carry over against an inferior opponent.

Brock Purdy...

Here is a look at the San Francisco 49ers’ inactive list for Monday night against the Carolina Panthers:

RB Jordan James
WR Jordan Watkins
OL Connor Colby
DL Robert Beal Jr.
DL Kevin Givens
LB Tatum Bethune
K Eddy Pineiro

With Beal sidelined, Clelin Ferrell is active. Ferrell was inactive last week after playing 42 combined snaps in Weeks 9 and 10. Givens remains inactive as the team will roll with rookies Alfred Collins and CJ West.

The other difference is Bethune being inactive. Curtis Robinson takes Bethune’s spot on defense, while Jalen Graham likely picks up Robinson’s slack on...

The San Francisco 49ers will have a new kicker on Monday night against the Carolina Panthers. On Monday afternoon, the team officially elevated kicker Matt Gay from the practice squad.

Gay was recently released after missing a pair of kicks with the Washington Commanders. One of those was to win the game. During a radio interview last Friday, general manager John Lynch said Gay deserves a clean slate:

“We talked to folks there whose opinion we trust, and they kind of did it reluctantly, letting him go. We were happy to get him. It was a nice opportunity that a...

The San Francisco 49ers are under the lights against the Carolina Panthers in a game that could put the Panthers in first place in the NFC South with a win. While it’s not a must-win for the Niners, any loss during the next three games would give them less room for error in late December.

Here are our staff’s predictions for tonight’s game.

Andrew’s prediction: 49ers 31, Panthers 14

Monday night’s clash between San Francisco and Carolina has turned out to be pretty crucial for both sides. A win for the 49ers gives them more cushion in a tight race...

The San Francisco 49ers are taking on the Carolina Panthers on Monday Night Football, looking to stack consecutive wins for the first time since Week 3 and keep their place in the NFC Playoff Picture.

San Francisco is coming off a dominant 41-22 win over the Arizona Cardinals, where they controlled the game from the start and never trailed in Brock Purdy’s return from injury.

Purdy led an efficient offense, throwing for 200 yards and three touchdowns, while Christian McCaffrey had 81 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries and caught five passes for 40 yards and another score.

Defensively,...

While the San Francisco 49ers have business to take care of tonight against the Carolina Panthers, there is news for next week’s matchup with the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski announced that although Dillon Gabriel has cleared concussion protocol, the Browns will move forward with Shedeur Sanders as the starting quarterback. The announcement comes on the heels of a victory over the Raiders, which led to Chip Kelly’s dismissal as offensive coordinator, in Sanders’s first NFL start.

Sanders took over last week against the Baltimore Ravens after Gabriel left with a concussion and, after a full week of...

The 2025 season has represented a trial by fire for rookie cornerback Upton Stout.

Amid struggles in coverage, the 49ers have stuck with the diminutive slot defender, who had sixth-most coverage snaps from the slot in the NFL going into Week 12 (223). Ahead of Sunday’s slate, Stout had allowed the most yards per coverage snap (1.72) among nickel defenders with at least 50 such snaps.

But there have been highs, most notably in the 49ers’ two wins over the Arizona Cardinals. Stout made a key pass breakup in Week 3 that secured a key stop to get the ball...

It’s time for your daily update regarding the San Francisco 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk. This report comes from Jay Glazer of Fox Sports.

Here’s what Glazer shared about Aiyuk during Sunday’s FOX NFL broadcast:

“I think it’s up to Brandon Aiyuk. And look, these fines and guarantees were taken back because of him not doing what he’s supposed to do in his rehab all the way back in camp, and he’s continued to incure these fines. And I think the answer is, look, if Brandon Aiyuk tries to do what he needs to do to get back with the...