![\"NFL:](\"https:\/\/images.deadspin.com\/tr:w-900\/27673917.jpg\")
Nov 24, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) makes a catch against the Carolina Panthers during the first half at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images <\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\nChristian McCaffrey ran for 89 yards and a touchdown and the San Francisco 49ers overcame a horrible first-half stretch from quarterback Brock Purdy to beat the Carolina Panthers 20-9 on Monday night in Santa Clara, Calif.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n The 49ers (8-4) did the job on defense to register back-to-back wins for the first time since September.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n The Panthers (6-6) dropped into second place in the NFC South, a half-game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, after managing just 230 yards of total offense.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n McCaffrey had 24 carries and caught seven passes for 53 yards against his former team. Purdy completed 23 of 32 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown, and he was intercepted three times.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, who threw for a franchise-record 448 yards a week earlier at Atlanta, finished 18-for-29 for 169 yards. He had one TD pass and threw two interceptions.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Carolina defensive back Jaycee Horn picked off two passes, but he didn’t play in the second half after sustaining a head injury.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n McCaffrey ran 12 yards for a touchdown on San Francisco’s first possession of the second half. The Panthers scored their first one touchdown with 49 seconds left in the third quarter on Young’s 29-yard pass to Tetairoa McMillan.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n <\/p>\n After a personal-foul penalty was called against the 49ers on the extra-point kick, the Panthers opted to try for a two-point conversion, but Young’s throw was incomplete and the score remained 17-9.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n San Francisco responded with a 6 1\/2-minute drive that resulted in Matt Gay’s 29-yard field goal. When Carolina’s Ryan Fitzgerald missed a field-goal attempt from 57 yards out with 2:41 left, the outcome was pretty much sealed.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n The 49ers somehow led 10-3 at halftime, though a big reason for that was Carolina’s 72 yards of total offense.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Purdy was intercepted three times in the first 21 minutes, twice by Horn and once by Mike Jackson. All the Panthers got out of those takeaways was a 25-yard field goal from Fitzgerald following the third Purdy turnover. On that possession, Carolina began at the San Francisco 33-yard line following Horn’s 22-yard return.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Following Horn’s first interception, the Panthers were set up at the San Francisco 16 before reaching the 1-yard line. Then Ji’Ayir Brown picked off Young’s first-and-goal pass.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n San Francisco, leading 7-0, was driving prior to the second interception, with Jackson corralling Purdy’s underthrown pass in the end zone.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Following Carolina’s field goal, the 49ers went 25 yards and got a 47-yard field goal from Gay with one minute left in the half. Gay, a veteran of seven NFL seasons, was in his first game for the 49ers since playing 10 games this year for the Commanders. Washington released him last week.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Before Purdy’s pick-off problems, the 49ers quarterback opened the scoring with a 12-yard pass to Jauan Jennings, finishing a 15-play, 72-yard drive on the game’s first possession.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n