The good news about ugly wins is that they count just the same in the standings.
There is no column for style points in the NFL, which is fortunate, because the San Francisco 49ers wouldn’t have earned any in their Monday night victory over the Carolina Panthers.
But with the 20-9 win, the Niners are sitting at 8-4. In a muddled NFC, they likely need just two more victories to punch a ticket to the postseason. That’s the math.
But here is the bad news about ugly wins: They force you to stare into the abyss. They make you wonder if this team should even bother chasing those two wins, let alone book travel arrangements for January.
Monday was a survival test, and I suppose the Niners did what they needed to do. It was messy. It was confusing. It was a win.
Here is who kept the ship afloat, and the man who nearly sank it:
Christian McCaffrey • RB
Lost in the intercept-fest was the fact that McCaffrey remains the most reliable bailout plan in football.
His nine touches on the opening drive were so brutally effective that there wasn’t time to stop and consider that giving him that much volume that early is borderline coaching malpractice. But once Kyle Shanahan finally decided to stop flirting with disaster in the passing game and just run outside zone, the Niners put the game on ice.
McCaffrey is currently on pace to become the only player in NFL history to register 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in a single season twice. We are watching greatness mask a whole lot of mediocrity.
Jauan Jennings • WR
You cannot break what is already broken.
On his game-opening touchdown, three Panthers defenders converged on Jennings. They hit him from the left. They hit him from the right. They hit him from behind. Most receivers fold. Jennings? He simply shrugged them off like a man brushing crumbs off jacket and walked into the end zone.
It doesn’t matter what else happens on the stat sheet. A play that boss lands you on the Studs list immediately.
Bryce Huff • DE
Simple analysis here: Huff had the juice. He drew two penalties rushing off the edge simply because the tackles couldn’t handle his get-off. When the offense stalled, Huff made sure the Panthers couldn’t take advantage. Bryce Young will see Huff in his nightmares on Monday.
Ji’Ayir Brown • S
This was the finest game of Brown’s career. He didn’t just snag two massive interceptions; he was a menace all over the field. He was erasing receivers in the flat. He was stuffing the run in the C-gap like a linebacker.
In the modern NFL, safety play is destiny. If Brown has leveled up alongside the equally violent Malik Mustapha, the Niners suddenly have a duo that can wreck game plans.
If San Francisco makes a run, it starts with these two.
George Kittle • TE
Another week, another superlative performance. Catching tough passes? Check. Mauling defenders in the run game? Check. What more is there to say? He is the gold standard.
Brock Purdy • 3INTQB
The three interceptions were inexcusable and the single reason this game wasn’t a blowout by halftime. If you want to be charitable, you could say the third interception was a great play by Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn. But even that was only possible because Purdy lacked the field vision to see the danger before letting it fly.
The first two? Those were woeful. Underthrown. Late. It looked like a guy who hadn’t taken a snap in years, not a franchise quarterback.
This was Purdy’s worst outing since the Christmas Day debacle in 2023. This is untenable.
You can get away with this against Carolina. You cannot make the playoffs with play like this. You cannot get away with this nonsense in the playoffs. If San Francisco wants to be more than a Wild Card exit, Purdy has to find his game.
The good news? We just saw it last week.