The San Francisco 49ers are using Christian McCaffrey like they’re playing a game of “Madden” with the injury settings off.
The 49ers are unaware of the load management approach when it comes to McCaffrey this season. Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan is closing in on trying to give McCaffrey the ball every single snap for a full game.
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But it’s working.
The 49ers improved to 8-4 with a 20-9 win over the Carolina Panthers fueled by another workhorse game from McCaffrey. On a night that Brock Purdy threw three first-half interceptions, the 49ers relied heavily on their star running back to provide the offense. He had 24 carries for 89 yards and seven catches for 53 yards, which has become normal usage for McCaffrey this season.
McCaffrey came into the game with 267 touches in 11 games. He got nine on the 49ers’ first drive Monday night, which resulted in a touchdown to Jauan Jennings.
McCaffrey missed all but four games of last season due to injury. He is 29, an age in which running backs start to fade. The 49ers would have been justified to cut back on McCaffrey’s usage. They’ve gone the other way.
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Brock Purdy struggles early
Purdy had a horrendous first half, and it didn’t really matter for San Francisco.
Purdy threw three interceptions in the first 30 minutes of play. Two were picked off by Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn. Another was intercepted in the end zone, costing the 49ers a chance for at least a field goal.
Shanahan said in a halftime interview that he didn’t think Purdy made any bad decisions, he was just late or a bit inaccurate on the throws.
The Panthers couldn’t make the 49ers pay. After one interception that was returned to the 49ers’ 16-yard line, Bryce Young threw an interception to the 49ers in the end zone four plays later. The 49ers’ defense has given up gobs of yards to most opponents since losing defensive end Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner to injury, but the Panthers couldn’t reach the end zone in the first half Monday.
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Purdy threw three interceptions and the 49ers went into halftime with a 10-3 lead. It was a huge opportunity for the Panthers and they let it pass.
Christian McCaffrey finds the end zone
By the second half, it seemed clear the 49ers just needed to not give the game away on offense to get the win. With Purdy being off, the safest way to close the game out was to feed McCaffrey.
He got in the end zone in the third quarter to give the 49ers a 17-3 lead. The Panthers made too many mistakes to keep up, though Young threw a touchdown pass to Tetairoa McMillan to keep it relatively close. But Young threw a crushing interception over the middle late in the fourth quarter, after McMillan was held without the officials seeing the penalty, and the 49ers were in good shape for the win.
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McCaffrey has had a great run with the 49ers, and he became the focal point of the team when many of the stars around him were out due to injury. He hasn’t worn down due to the amount of touches and has carried the 49ers into playoff contention. If the 49ers make the playoffs McCaffrey might start to feel the effects of the 400-plus touches he’s on pace for, but that’s a concern for down the road.
Live coverage is over31 updatesMon, November 24, 2025 at 5:18 PM PST
Jason Owens
Jason Owens
San Francisco converted on fourth-and-inches and can kneel out the clock on a 20-9 win. Christian McCaffrey was the star in a matchup against his former team with 89 rushing yards, 53 receiving yards and a touchdown to lead the 49ers to victory.
The Panthers intercepted Brock Purdy three times, but turned those turnovers into just 3 points. San Francisco improves to 8-4 to remain in the playoff picture. The Panthers fall to 6-6 and miss an opportunity to take control of the NFC South from the 6-5 Buccaneers.
Jason Owens
Instead of going for it on fourth-and-8, the Panthers attempted a long-shot 57-yard field goal.
Kicker Ryan Fitzgerald badly missed the career-long attempt, and the 49ers take over on downs with 2:41 remaining and a 20-9 lead. The Panthers would have needed a stop, a touchdown and a 2-point conversion to tie the game even if the kick was good. Not sure about that decision.
This one’s over.
Jason Owens
This one isn’t quite over. The Panthers forced a 3-and-out punt after Bryce Young’s interception and have the ball back. They need two quick scores with a 20-9 deficit and less than 5 minutes remaining.
Jason Owens
The 49ers got an assist from the refs on their second interception of Bryce Young.
Cornerback Renardo Green grabbed ahold of Panthers receiver Tetairoa McMillan as McMillan broke inside at the end of his route. The hold slowed McMillan and allowed Ji’Ayir Brown to intercept Young’s pass.
It was a clear penalty, and Brown doesn’t make the interception without it. A big break for the 49ers and a bad mistake from the refs that likely ends any hope of a Panthers comeback.
Jason Owens
Ji’Ayir Brown picked off Bryce Young in the end zone in the first quarter. He just got him again with his second interception of the game to squash a Carolina drive in San Francisco territory.
And this one might do it. The Panthers looked well on their way to scoring at least a field goal to cut their deficit to one possession. Instead, the 49ers have the ball back with a 20-9 lead and 6:33 remaining. If they play clean football from here, they should hold on for the win.
Jason Owens
The Panthers stuffed Christian McCaffrey for losses on two straight plays to put the 49ers in third-and-18.
But the 49ers were already in field goal range, and Matt Gay connected from 29 yards to extend the San Francisco lead to two possessions at 20-9 early in the fourth quarter.
Jason Owens
There’s the Carolina offense.
The Panthers marched downfield with four straight touches by running back Chubba Hubbard. Bryce Young then capped the drive with a 29-yard dime to a streaking Tetairoa McMillan in the end zone.
The Panthers didn’t capitalize on the extra point though. They decided to go for 2 after a San Francisco penalty on the extra-point kick put them at the 1-yard line.
Young’s pass on the ensuing try got tipped at the line of scrimmage and incomplete out of the back of the end zone. It was the correct decision given the shorter try, but the risk didn’t pay off.
Carolina cuts the San Francisco lead to 17-9, and we’ve got a ball game with 49 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Jason Owens
Christian McCaffrey set the pace for San Francisco’s first touchdown drive. He just scored on its second.
McCaffrey found the left edge on a pitch from Brock Purdy and knifed through the Carolina secondary for a 12-yard touchdown. He’s now up to 128 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown against his former team. Just another night at work for the electric All-Pro running back.
San Francisco takes a 17-3 lead late in the third quarter and may already have enough points to outscore a stagnant Panthers offense.
Jason Owens
The Panthers have, in fact, ruled cornerback Jaycee Horn out with a concussion. Horn intercepted Brock Purdy twice in the first half, but won’t play in the second.
Jason Owens
ESPN reports that Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn was seen vomiting on the sideline and is being evaluated for a concussion.
Horn had 2 interceptions in the first half and has been Carolina’s best player tonight. A tough break if he is concussed.
Jason Owens
The Panthers started to get something going past midfield on the first possession of the third quarter, but a holding penalty on a Bryce Young run put them in first-and-20 back in their own territory. The result was another failed conversion on third-and-7, and the Panthers punted again.
They’re now 1 of 6 on third down tonight.
Jason Owens
That was not a well-played half of football.
The 49ers marched downfield for an impressive first-drive touchdown. Since then, it’s been a comedy of errors for each team as Brock Purdy’s thrown 3 interceptions and Bryce Young threw one of his own from first-and-goal at the 1-yard line.
Look for the 49ers to go back to what works in the second half — Christian McCaffrey. The answer for the Panthers isn’t quite so clear, but getting Rico Dowdle more involved couldn’t hurt.
Key halftime stats
49ers
Brock Purdy: 13 of 22 for 95 yards, 1 touchdown, 3 interceptions
Christian McCaffrey: 12 carries, 43 yards; 5 catches, 40 yards
George Kittle: 3 catches, 45 yards
Panthers
Bryce Young: 6 of 10, 28 yards, 0 touchdowns, 1 interception
Rico Dowdle: 4 carries, 19 yards; 1 catch, 3 yards
Jimmy Horn: 1 catch, 11 yards
Jaycee Horn: 2 interceptions
Team stats
49ers offense: 180 yards on 4.6 yards per play
Panthers offense: 72 yards on 3.8 yards per play
49ers turnovers: 3
Panthers turnovers: 1
49ers time of possession: 19:07
Panthers time of possession: 10:53
Jason Owens
The 49ers didn’t get into field goal range, and that’s the end of a rough half of football. The 49ers take a 10-3 lead into the break.
Jason Owens
Carolina couldn’t manage to run a minute of clock, much less score at the end of the half.
The Panthers punted the ball back to the 49ers to likely conclude a miserable half of offense. San Francisco takes over with 17 seconds remaining and a chance to take some long shots to get into field-goal range from their own 35.
Jason Owens
Brock Purdy threw two more balls on San Francisco’s latest drive that could have been intercepted. Fortunately for the 49ers, they hit the turf.
The 49ers settled for a field goal after three straight incompletions from the Carolina 29, and San Francisco has a 10-3 lead with 1 minute remaining in the half.
Jason Owens
The Panthers are finally on the board. But they’ve left a lot of potential points in the lurch.
Carolina settled for a field goal after failing to convert on third-and-goal at the 4-yard line. After multiple failed drives, coach Dave Canales appeared to have no appetite for risk on fourth down and decided to kick.
The Panthers have converted three Brock Purdy interceptions into 3 points, and the 49ers hold a 7-3 lead late in the second quarter.
Jason Owens
Brock Purdy is now up to his third interception — and his second to Jaycee Horn.
Horn jumped a route on a downfield pass targeting Ricky Pearsall and picked the ball off near midfield. His return sets up Carolina in San Francisco territory.
Now, can the Panthers actually do something with this turnover?
Mon, November 24, 2025 at 6:01 PM PST
Carolina punted right back to San Francisco on a three-and-out after Purdy’s interception into the end zone.
The Panthers have zero points to show for Purdy’s two picks. They’ve responded to each with a Bryce Young interception and now a punt, and the 49ers maintain a 7-0 lead.
Jason Owens
QB mistakes are the name of the game early. Brock Purdy just threw his second interception, this one on a deep shot into the end zone from the Carolina 28.
Purdy looked for Ricky Pearsall down the middle, but Panthers cornerback Mike Jackson had tight coverage and picked it off at the goal line. A bad decision and a bad throw from Purdy, and the Panthers have the ball back at the 20 after a touchback.
San Francisco leads 7-0 with 9:35 remaining in the second quarter.
Jason Owens
Oh no, Bryce Young. You can’t do that.
The Panthers had first-and-goal at the 1 and a chance to tie the game. Instead, Young threw a jump ball into traffic on a play-action pass that safety Ji’Ayir Brown intercepted in the end zone.
Young had several options there. He could have tried to run it in. He could have thrown it away with three more downs to work with. Instead, he made the worst play possible, and Carolina squandered prime field position following Jaycee Horn’s interception of Brock Purdy.