NFL
NFL Week 12
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Bryce Younger and the Carolina Panthers head out west to face Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and the San Francisco 49ers on “Monday Night time Soccer.”
Observe our writers for information, updates and evaluation on tonight's recreation.
Try this week’s live coverage schedule on The Athletic
Based mostly on warmups, 49ers rookie linebacker Nick Martin will proceed his position as strongside linebacker and Spencer Burford will begin at left guard. He’s been alternating sequence with Ben Bartch.
San Francisco 49ers legend Roger Craig is in attendance tonight for “Monday Night time Soccer.” He embraced present 49ers working again Christian McCaffrey pregame.
The Panthers have been hit and miss masking tight ends this 12 months, and George Kittle is among the finest receiving tight ends of all time. Kittle missed 5 video games after injuring his hamstring in Week 1. However he seems to be again to his outdated type: Kittle has 19 receptions on 19 targets the previous three video games (and 27 catches on 30 targets for the season).
Jaycee Horn is having a strong season. The Panthers cornerback is main the staff in interceptions with three. He additionally has 15 solo tackles.
Will probably be fascinating to see which receiver Horn matches up in opposition to. He might want to play an excellent recreation if the Panthers are going to win tonight.
To be clear, Christian McCaffrey is a matchup nightmare for any protection. And the Panthers’ success limiting Bijan Robinson within the second half final week is encouraging. Regardless of lacking beginning linebackers Trevin Wallace and Christian Rozeboom, the Panthers imagine they’ll hold McCaffrey in verify within the run recreation by getting quite a lot of defenders to the ball. However having backup LBs Claudin Cherelus and Krys Barnes cope with the slippery McCaffrey in go protection is a troublesome ask.
Along with Bryce Younger, it’s been a pleasant season for the Panthers dashing assault. Rico Dowdle is the anchor for Carolina’s floor recreation. He leads the staff with 833 dashing yards (eighth within the NFL) and has 5 touchdowns.
Dowdle is one in all 4 NFC working backs with an energetic streak of fifty scrimmage yards in seven-plus consecutive video games. In two of his previous three highway video games, Dowdle has 80-plus yards and a landing.
Dave Canales will attempt to set up the bottom recreation in opposition to Robert Saleh’s protection. However there must be alternatives for giant performs within the passing recreation, given the Niners’ putrid go rush. With Nick Bosa amongst three go rushers on IR, San Francisco is final within the league with 12 sacks. The 49ers final week allowed Jacoby Brissett to drop again practically 60 occasions and by no means sacked him. Bryce Younger ought to have time to search out explosive performs downfield to Tetairoa McMillan, Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker.
The Carolina Panthers should attempt to cease their former working again with out their two beginning inside linebackers.
Christian Rozeboom (hip/hamstring) and Trevin Wallace (shoulder) lead the record of inactives because the Panthers put together to face the San Francisco 49ers and Christian McCaffrey. Rozeboom, the staff’s main tackler, and Wallace had been each dominated out Saturday so their inclusion on the inactives wasn’t a shock. Claudin Cherelus and Krys Barnes will substitute them within the beginning lineup.
Heart Cade Mays (ankle) can also be inactive, with veteran Austin Corbett stepping in for him. The Panthers’ wholesome scratches are WR Hunter Renfrow, DL Jared Harrison-Hunte, TE James Mitchell and DL Cam Jackson.
Under are the Carolina Panthers inactives for tonight’s “Monday Night time Soccer” recreation:
There are not any surprises amongst as we speak’s inactives. Eddy Pineiro, Tatum Bethune and Robert Beal Jr. had been dominated out on the finish of the follow week. They’ll get replaced by Matt Homosexual, Curtis Robinson and Clelin Ferrell, respectively. Jalen Graham, who was elevated from the follow squad as we speak, doubtless would be the backup center linebacker behind Robinson.
Givens, in the meantime, is a wholesome scratch for the second straight week with rookie CJ West taking part in defensive deal with with the second-team line as a substitute. Jordan Watkins has been inactive since fellow receiver Ricky Pearsall returned from his knee problem. Jordan James has been a wholesome scratch all season.
Under are the inactives for the San Francisco 49ers tonight:
There already was a ton of intrigue surrounding the Carolina Panthers’ “Monday Night time Soccer” recreation, given how occasionally they play in prime time and the presence of a sure working again on the opposite sideline.
Then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers misplaced to the L.A. Rams on Sunday – and misplaced Baker Mayfield to a shoulder harm within the course of – and you’ll nearly really feel the thrill in Charlotte from out right here on the West Coast.
The Panthers (6-5) can finish the evening in sole possession of first place within the NFC South, a place they haven’t held this late since Week 17 of their Tremendous Bowl season of 2015. However first there’s the matter of beating the San Francisco 49ers, which isn’t any small job.
Over the subsequent a number of minutes, let’s go over what I’ll be watching at Levi’s Stadium (the place the Panthers ended that 2015 season in Tremendous Bowl 50).
It was a profession recreation final week for Bryce Younger. The Panthers QB recorded 448 passing yards within the 30-27 extra time win over the Falcons. Younger surpassed Cam Newton for essentially the most single-game passing yards in Panthers franchise historical past.
Younger additionally did Newton's signature “dab” transfer after the sport. It's been a enjoyable season for the 2023 No. 1 choose, which may get even higher with a win on “Monday Night time Soccer” over the 49ers.
That is the twenty fourth time that the Panthers and 49ers have squared off. Carolina leads the profession head-to-head 13-10-0.
The final time they performed one another was Oct. 9, 2022. The 49ers trounced the Panthers 37-15 behind a two-touchdown efficiency from Jimmy Garoppolo.
Christian McCaffrey, a member of the Panthers, ran for 54 yards and had one dashing landing within the dropping effort.
The proficient San Francisco 49ers large receiving corps that racked up 2,785 yards, 18 touchdowns and helped the staff attain the Tremendous Bowl simply two seasons in the past?
There’s a superb likelihood it’ll be entirely gone by the spring.
That’s a logical conclusion after Friday’s information that Brandon Aiyuk, who hasn’t performed a recreation for the 49ers in 13 months, has missed staff conferences and different actions in latest months, prompting the 49ers to void the assured cash in Aiyuk’s contract for 2026. That doubtless heralds a break up through the upcoming offseason, simply 15 months after the 2 sides agreed to an enormous, four-year contract extension.
GO FURTHER
49ers’ offseason mission: Restocking their once-powerful receiving corps
George Kittle has been a catalyst for the 49ers all through his profession, and the final couple of weeks are simply an instance of his influence on this offense.
The veteran tight finish has a landing in three of his previous 4 video games, most lately catching six passes for 67 yards and two touchdowns in opposition to Arizona. The week prior, Kittle caught 9 passes for 84 yards and a rating.
He additionally has been pivotal within the run recreation, serving to unencumber Christian McCaffrey and Brian Robinson along with his blocking capability.
After being sidelined with a knee harm since Week 4, Ricky Pearsall made his return to the San Francisco lineup in Week 11 however had a particularly quiet recreation.
The second-year wideout was focused simply twice, catching a single go for no yards. Earlier than this efficiency, Pearsall had eclipsed 100-plus yards in two of the 4 video games.
Pearsall will look to bounce again tonight, shaking off the rust of his prolonged absence.
Amidst an injury-plagued season for the 49ers, Christian McCaffrey has arguably been essentially the most constant participant within the NFL.
He entered Week 12 main the league in carries, dashing for 707 yards with six touchdowns … to not point out his manufacturing within the passing recreation. McCaffrey already has caught 74 passes for 732 yards with 5 touchdowns as he’s on tempo for each 1,000 yards dashing and receiving.
Forward of tonight's “Monday Night time Soccer” matchup in San Francisco, take a look at Matt Barrows’ 49ers mailbag, together with subjects reminiscent of Kyle Shanahan’s subsequent quarterback mission, Brandon Aiyuk’s well being, Mac Jones’ future and extra.
GO FURTHER
Who shall be Kyle Shanahan’s QB reclamation mission subsequent 12 months? 49ers mailbag
