McCaffrey, Brown Lead Way for 49ers' Sloppy Win over Panthers

Week 12 - Playing at home in front of the Levi's Stadium faithful for a brief 1-game stay before hitting the road again, the (7-4) San Francisco 49ers would play host to the upstart (6-5) Carolina Panthers under the bright lights of Monday Night Football. With two quarterbacks coming off big games the previous week for their respective teams, Monday night's game would be the complete opposite of that as San Francisco's Brock Purdy and Carolina's Bryce Young struggled mightily and threw for a combined five interceptions on the night. A week removed from logging a mistake-free ballgame against his hometown Arizona Cardinals in which Purdy threw for an even 200 yards and 3 touchdowns in his first game back after missing six weeks, he would have his worst outing of the season by throwing three interceptions, all in the first half and on three straight possessions which led to some unhappy fans that let their feelings be heard in the form of boo's. Luckily, Purdy wasn't the only signal-caller on the night that struggled to get much of anything going thru the air. Young who had a career game a week earlier by throwing for a Panthers franchise record 448 yards passing to go with 3 touchdowns and no interceptions, had plenty of opportunities to put his team in a position to win or at the very least put up more points with some help from his defense. 

It wasn't all bad QB play, however, as things actually got off to a great for the 49er offense that began the game in possession of the ball and embarked on their longest opening-drive of the season. Controlling the ball for 8-minutes and 43-seconds and running 15-plays, Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan dialed up a career-high nine touches on the opening-drive for running back and former first round pick of the Panthers Christian McCaffrey. Facing his former team for the first time since being traded to San Francisco in 2022, it would be a busy night for McCaffrey who helped the 49ers march their way into the red zone where Purdy found receiver Jauan Jennings who broke a pair of tackles before making it into the end zone for the early score. Looking equally as impressive on defense, the 49ers forced a three-and-out punt on Carolina's first possession. Unfortunately, they would give the ball away just one play later on Purdy's first of three interceptions. Taking over with prime field position, the Panthers made it to the 1-yard line where they would setup shop on first and goal. Electing to pass, Young was picked off in the end zone by 49ers safety Ji'Ayir Brown who read the play perfectly on his way to having a career night. 

Putting together what appeared to be another promising drive, Purdy and the offense marched to the Carolina 28-yard line before he launched a deep ball into the end zone for Ricky Pearsall that was intercepted for a touchback. The 49er defense would hold the Panthers to another three and out but they would not be so lucky a third time around when Purdy became the first quarterback this season to throw three interceptions in the first half of a game. Again, on a pass intended for Pearsall, Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn jumped in front of the receiver for his second interception of the night. The third time would be a charm for the Panthers who finally turned a turnover into points as kicker Ryan Fitzgerald got Carolina on the board with a field goal. Brock Purdy would shake off the rust with a much cleaner performance the rest of the way by avoiding any more turnovers, although he escaped throwing another interception or two as he and his receivers continued to miscommunicate on several plays through either poor timing or incorrect routes throughout the night. 

Kicker Matt Gay who was signed on Thursday after being cut by the Washington Commanders last Monday, made an impressive first impression with the 49ers by going 2-for-2 in field goals, including one before the half to give San Francisco a 10-3 halftime lead. Opening the second half with another stellar drive, McCaffrey capped things off with a 12-yard receiving touchdown to make it a 17-3 ballgame. Facing a 14-point hole in the final moments in the third quarter, the Panthers put together their most successful drive of the night, scoring on a 29-yard touchdown pass to rookie receiver Tetairoa McMillan. But an unsuccessful two-point conversion would keep it an 8-point game. After answering with their second field goal of the night, the 49ers would increase to 11. Looking to inch closer midway thru the fourth quarter, Bryce Young would be intercepted for a second time, again by San Francisco's Ji'Ayir Brown who would play his way to NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. 

In a last-ditch effort to pull off the comeback, the Panthers would miss on a 57-yard field goal attempt from Fitzgerald which allowed the Niners to run the clock and secure the 20-9 victory and their 54th win on Monday Night Football in franchise history, tying the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most all-time. Had the Panthers won on Monday, they would've moved into sole possession of first place in the NFC South. Instead, they drop to 6-6 and fall into second place behind the (6-5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Meanwhile, the 49ers keep pace in the crowded and mighty NFC Western Division by improving to 8-4 on the year. Leading the way for the 49ers once more would be Christian McCaffrey who logged his 38th career game with 50 rushing yards and 50 receiving yards, 2nd most all-time behind only Marshall Faulk's 41, after finishing with 89 and 53, respectively. CMC also became the third running back in NFL history to have 50+ receiving yards in at least 50 career games, joining Larry Centers (55) and Faulk (50). Tight-end George Kittle would lead all receivers with 6 receptions for 78 of Brock Purdy's 193 yards. 

What got almost as much attention as the win itself was what happened after the game ended when a scuffle broke out between Jauan Jennings and Panthers safety Tre'von Moehrig. The two had to be separated when both teams met near midfield to exchange pleasantries as Jennings was seen throwing a punch at Moehrig after the game following a low blow Jennings took from Moehrig earlier in the game. Jennings would be commended by coach Shanahan for waiting until after the game to express his frustration opposed to during the game and costing his team a penalty or possible ejection. Moehrig attempted to defend his actions in a postgame interview by explaining Jennings was talking trash, but he would ultimately be fined and suspended one game by the commissioner's office for his actions. 

Week 13 Preview: Hitting the road to take on the (3-8) Cleveland Browns, the (8-4) 49ers are coming off back-to-back wins for the first time since starting the season 3-0. They'll try to make it three straight wins when they face off against rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders who is coming off his first career win on the road over the Las Vegas Raiders in his first career start. Seeking their first win in Cleveland since 1984, the 49ers will try to make Sanders' first start in front of the home crowd a rough homecoming. With San Francisco currently holding a Wild Card position as the No. 7 seed in the NFC standings, their playoff aspirations can increase drastically with another win on Sunday. With arguably the best defensive player in the league in Myles Garrett looking to make things miserable for Brock Purdy, the 49ers will need to be much sharper on offense if they plan to end their drought in "The Land." With weather conditions expected to be poor come kickoff time with wind and rain in the forecast, we may be in store for another heavy dose of run plays from running backs Christian McCaffrey and Brian Robinson. 

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49ers Scorch Cardinals in Purdy's Return

Week 11 - After dropping their first game against a division opponent this season a week earlier after having gone 3-0 to start, the (6-4) San Francisco 49ers would get a chance to bounce back and add another division win to their resume while paying a visit to the desert to take on the (3-6) Arizona Cardinals. After being swept by Arizona a season ago, a win on Sunday would allow the Niners to return the favor and complete a season sweep over the Cardinals. Sunday's game would also be a homecoming for 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy who would make his return to the starting lineup after having missed the last six games and eight out of ten overall. Purdy, the former 2017 Arizona Cardinals Highschool Football Player of the Year, wouldn't be the only Arizona native making his way back from injury for the 49ers as receiver Ricky Pearsall who was born in nearby Phoenix, also made his return to the football field for the first time since Week 4 after dealing with a lingering knee injury. 

Purdy and company would see their team jump out to an early 7-0 advantage without them having to throw a single pass after the game's opening-kickoff was nearly taken to the house on an impressive 98-yard return from Skyy Moore. The team's longest kickoff return since Ted Ginn's 102-yarder on September 11, 2011, would setup running back Christian McCaffrey who would do the rest with a walk-in touchdown from a yard out. Following an incompletion on Purdy's first pass attempt of the afternoon, he would complete consecutive passes to receivers Jauan Jennings and Demarcus Robinson for 25 and 13 yards, respectively, before connecting on a 30-yard strike down the sideline to his favorite target in tight-end George Kittle. Adding to their early lead, the 49ers would jump ahead 13-0 after kicker Eddy Pineiro had his extra-point attempt blocked. Facing an early multi-score deficit, the Cardinals would answer with a touchdown of their own in what would be one of the lone highlights for Arizona in the first half. Behind quarterback Jacoby Brissett who would make his fifth start of the season in place of the injured Kyler Murray, the Cards would get on the scoreboard with a 6-yard score from running back Bam Knight. Trailing 13-7, it would be the closest the Cardinals would get all afternoon as San Francisco led from wire-to-wire. 

Arizona had a chance to take the lead late in the first quarter after getting the ball back following a 49ers three-and-out punt, but instead were held to a field goal try that was missed from 58-yards out by 

Cardinals kicker Chad Ryland. Adding to their lead, the 49ers would get another touchdown from McCaffrey on a 9-yard reception. After exchanging field goals, the San Francisco defense would come up with only their second interception of the season when Malik Mustapha came down with an errant pass from Brissett in the final minute of the first half which led to another field goal from Pineiro. With San Francisco leading 25-10 at the half, the Cardinals nearly opened the second half with an ideal start following a 60-yard touchdown run on 4th and 1, but a penalty would nullify the big play and resulted in an Arizona punt. Completing a 10-point swing, the 49ers would add another field goal to pad their lead. With the Cardinals beginning to march, San Francisco's Deommodore Lenoir who was a late add to the Niners' injury report with a calf ailment and was a game time decision by coach Kyle Shanahan, came up with an interception to put a halt to Arizona's marching drive and nearly returned it to the house for a pick-six. A few plays later, Purdy and Kittle would connect for their second time of the afternoon as Kittle recorded his 50th career touchdown reception. 

Arizona's ensuing possession would also end in a turnover when 49ers rookie cornerback Upton Stout made a play near the goal line to strip Cardinals tight-end Elijah Higgins for a fumble. While the 49ers were unable to do anything with the football pinned back near their own end zone, they at least held the Cardinals from inching closer on the scoreboard. And while Arizona did manage to score two late garbage time touchdowns thru the air, the 49ers added a third and final touchdown from McCaffrey to give them 41-points, their highest point total of the season and the eventual 41-22 victory. While Arizona finished the game with 488 total yards of offense compared to San Francisco's 281, they also committed 17 penalties, the most in franchise history. In comparison, the 49ers committed only 1 penalty on Sunday. Despite trailing in total yards, one area the Niners did win in was the turnover battle -- 3-0. Sunday's game would also mark the first time since Week 1 that Purdy, McCaffrey, Kittle and Pearsall were all healthy and on the field together at the same time this season. 

Finishing with 121 all-scrimmage yards and a touchdown hat-trick for the 6th time in his career, tied for the third most among active players, McCaffrey helped his team log a successful afternoon on offense by scoring on 8 of their 11 possessions. With 249 scrimmage touches thru his team's first 10 games of a season, McCaffrey has the most by any player since 2019 when he tallied 258. Purdy showed no signs of rust after the long layoff and finished with an even 200 yards passing on 19-of-26 pass attempts, including a pair of touchdowns. As for his counterpart Jacoby Brissett, the Cardinals QB completed an NFL record 47 passes on 57 attempts, surpassing the previous mark of 45 held by Drew Bledsoe (1994) and Jared Goff (2019). Brissett also threw for 452 yards, the most by a Cardinal since Kurt Warner in 2008 and the 7th most passing yards in a single game in Cardinals franchise history to go along with 2 TD's and 2 interceptions. 

Week 12: Returning home to Levi's Stadium for a brief 1-game stay before hitting the road again, the (7-4) 49ers will welcome in the upstart (6-5) Carolina Panthers for a bout on Monday Night Football. Two of the bigger surprises in all of football, both the 49ers and Panthers have already surpassed their win totals from a season ago when they finished 6-11 and 5-12, respectively. With an upset win over the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in Week 9 under their belt, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers know they cannot overlook this Panthers team that is also coming off a 30-27 win on the road against the division rival Atlanta Falcons in which quarterback Bryce Young threw for a career-high 448 yards passing, 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. With Jacoby Brissett putting up similar numbers against the Niners for Arizona, the San Francisco defense will have to turn up the heat to prevent a repeat performance as Young looks to build on his last outing. With an extra day of rest, the 49ers will have to call on a different kicker as Eddy Pineiro who has been solid since signing with San Francisco during Week 2, suffered a hamstring strain in the second half against the Cardinals. Listed as week-to-week, the 49ers will hold tryouts in hopes of finding a reliable replacement in time for Monday's game. 

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49ers Pound Panthers in Blowout Win

Week 5 - Looking to put together their first winning-streak of the season, the (2-2) San Francisco 49ers would take a trip to Charlotte to take on the (1-3) Carolina Panthers. During the week leading up to gameday, 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo revealed that Carolina was among the top two teams on his list of possible landing destinations. Instead, the Panthers made a deal to acquire QB Baker Mayfield from the Cleveland Browns and Garoppolo restructured his contract to stay in San Francisco days before the start of the preseason. Coincidentally, Jimmy G would have his best game yet in 2022 and Mayfield his worst. 

With 30+ friends and family members in attendance, Sunday's game would serve as a homecoming for 49ers star receiver Deebo Samuel. And although Deebo would eventually give his many supporters something to cheer about, it was Samuel's teammate George Kittle who Garoppolo would go to early and often to start the game. Having gotten off to a slow start thus far through two games after missing the first two weeks of the season with a groin injury, the 49ers tight-end had his most productive game of the season. Hauling in the first two passes of the afternoon from Garoppolo and four of the first six, a steady diet of Kittle helped move the San Francisco offense up and down the field in the opening quarter. Two plays after a 20-yard reception from Kittle, 49ers running back Jeff Wilson Jr. broke up the middle for a 41-yard gain, setting up a 9-yard touchdown reception by Tevin Coleman who had himself a nice return to the franchise after signing with the team's practice squad less than three weeks earlier. In his second stint with the team after being released by the Jets during the preseason, Coleman scored twice on the afternoon, both on the ground and through the air. 

Jimmy G would look Kittle's way two more times during their second offensive possession, but the drive would be cut short as Kittle was tackled from behind and striped of the ball near midfield, fumbling for only the second time in his career. Luckily, the turnover would not haunt the Niners as Carolina had demons of their own as Panthers kicker Eddy Pineiro's field goal attempt from 41-yards out soared wide left. The missed field goal would snap a streak of 27 consecutive made field goals for Pineiro who was perfect on the day otherwise. The Panthers kicker would redeem himself on Carolina's following possession by making a 43-yarder, but not before the 49ers got a field goal of their own as Robbie Gould split the uprights from 49-yards out. Gould would have an interesting day at the office as he had a field goal blocked two possessions later from 43-yards out, and also had to make a pair of plays on special-teams as he made a tackle on consecutive kickoffs, injuring himself in the process. Gould would have to leave the game in the third quarter with a knee contusion in what would be a rough second half for the Niners in the injury department. 

Already playing this week without Arik Armstead and Javon Kinlaw along the defensive-line as both players were ruled out before kickoff, Gould, Jimmie Ward, Nick Bosa and Emmanuel Moseley would all be lost to injury on Sunday. With Bosa leaving the game due to a tight groin, it would be another tough break for safety Jimmie Ward who was activated from the team's injured-reserve list after missing the first four games of the season with a hamstring injury. There's bad luck and then there's whatever Ward has as his season-debut would be cut short as he suffered a broken hand on the opening-kickoff. But the worst injury of all would be that of cornerback Emmanuel Moseley who suffered a left knee injury that immediately had head coach Kyle Shanahan and his medical staff fearing the worst with a possible torn ACL. Before Moseley needed assistance to be helped off the field, he came up with the best play of the day on defense when he intercepted a Baker Mayfield pass and returned it to the end zone for a 41-yard pick-six. It would be a day of high's and low's for Moseley who grew up in nearby Greensboro, North Carolina, and like Deebo, had plenty of supporters rooting him on from the stands. Moseley's interception would give the 49er defense back to back weeks with a pick-six for the first time since 2000, and their eighth pick-six since 2019, tying them for the most in the NFL during that span. 

Carolina would open the second half with their one and only touchdown-scoring drive of the game when their star running back Christian McCaffrey took a handoff on 4th and 1 the distance for a 19-yard score before failing on the two-point conversion. The 49er offense would answer that touchdown with one of their own as a big 32-yard catch and run from receiver Jauan Jennings helped setup a touchdown pass to Deebo Samuel. Sandwiched between two more Carolina field goals, Jeff Wilson Jr. would add to his busy day with a rushing touchdown from the 1-yard line. Having filled in quite nicely for the injured Elijah Mitchell, Wilson Jr. finished with 120 rushing yards on 17 carries. San Francisco would add one last touchdown late, capitalizing on a turnover on downs from the Panthers inside their own 10. Putting the icing on the cake would be Tevin Coleman who added to his receiving touchdown earlier in the game with a rushing touchdown from the 5. The injury to Gould would thwart punter Mitch Wishnowsky into kicking duties as he made 1 of 2 PAT's on the afternoon, while sharing a laugh with his teammates. Garoppolo would finish with 253 yards passing and 2 touchdowns in comparison to Mayfield's 215 yards passing and 1 interception. 

Coach Shanahan's Niners would be the only team in the division that reigned victorious on Sunday, as the rest of the NFC West fell to 2-3 on the season, meaning the 49ers stand alone in first place at 3-2. And helping San Francisco achieve that feat was the defense which stepped up big once again with a six sack performance after tallying 7 sacks the previous week versus the Rams. The 49er offense was also able to match that intensity by producing drives of all types to keep the opposition on their heels. Developments would rock both teams on Monday as Carolina fired head coach Matt Rhule following the team's disappointing 1-4 start and team doctors confirmed that 49ers corner Emmanuel Moseley did in fact suffer a torn ACL that will require season-ending surgery. While Moseley's absence in the defense will be detrimental to what's been a stout secondary, the door for his replacement opens wide with eyes on rookie Samuel Womack III, second-year corner Ambry Thomas, veteran Dontae Johnson and the often injured Jason Verrett who will make his season-debut soon from IR. 

Week 6 Preview: Staying out east in preparation of their Week 6 visit to Georgia to face the (2-3) Atlanta Falcons, the 49ers will setup shop at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia as part of their home away from home practice site, instead of flying across the country to the team's practice facility in the Bay Area. With a 21-15 loss on Sunday to the division rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers, quarterback Marcus Mariota and the Falcons are just one win better than the Panthers in the standings and if not for a bogus roughing the passer call on a third down sack of Tom Brady during the 4th quarter, the Falcons could very well be coming off a win. Instead, they're coming off a defeat and are likely to be without their top two offensive weapons in tight-end Kyle Pitts and receiver turned running back Cordarrelle Patterson as they nurse a hamstring and knee injury, respectively. For this very reason, the 49ers might be able to get by for a week without defensive star Nick Bosa if Shanahan and company choose to give him a week off to aid his groin injury. Meanwhile, the team will hold a tryout for kickers in the event that Robbie Gould has to miss any time. 

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49ers Continue regular-season Domination of rival Rams

Week 4 - Returning home in hopes of shaking off the ugly loss in Week 3 to the Denver Broncos, the (1-2) San Francisco 49ers would have a chance to redeem themselves under the spotlight and on the national stage in a Monday night meeting with the division rival and defending Super Bowl champion (2-1) Los Angeles Rams. Vying for their seventh straight regular-season victory over the Rams, 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo would put his perfect 6-0 record against L.A. on the line, hoping to continue his success against the Niners' long-standing rival, while also rebounding from a tough outing the week before. After a dismal showing on offense a week earlier on the road in Denver, the 49ers offense found their rhythm right out of the gates on Monday night, scoring a touchdown with ease on their opening-drive. 

Marching 75-yards on 10-plays, Niners running back Jeff Wilson started things off by dashing to the end zone for a 32-yard score to give San Francisco a 7-3 advantage and a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the evening. Boasting one of the league's best defenses thru the first month of the NFL season, the 49ers struggled to slow the Rams down during their game-opening drive which lasted 16-plays, before eventually holding L.A. to a field goal. That bend but don't break mentality would hold true throughout the entirety of the game. Both teams would exchange a pair of punts before the Rams got on the scoreboard again with another Matt Gay field goal to make it a 7-6 game. Both times the Rams scored with a field goal, the Niners answered with a touchdown. Approaching midfield, the 49ers would turn a near-disaster into one of the top highlight plays of the season thus far as receiver Deebo Samuel logged the longest play of the season for San Francisco. 

On a pass from Garoppolo that was nearly intercepted, Deebo leaped into the air and came down with the reception before taking it 57-yards to the house, turning on the jets and breaking several tackles before finding the end zone. It would be Deebo's first receiving touchdown of the season and his sixth career touchdown against L.A. With San Francisco leading 14-6 at the half, both teams would exchange field goals before an interesting turn of events highlighted the fourth quarter. Leading by 8-points with under 9-minutes remaining in regulation, the 49ers would give kicker Robbie Gould a chance to make it a two-score game, but his 42-yard field goal try would soar wide left, giving the Rams new life and a chance to tie the game late. Just when L.A. appeared to be turning the tide and gaining some momentum, one of the youngest players on the 49ers' star-studded defense and one of their biggest standouts through the first three weeks of the season stepped up with yet another big play to seal the victory. 

Second-year safety Talanoa Hufanga who has already made a name for himself in the San Francisco secondary as a ballhawk and tackle machine, read a play perfectly when he jumped a screen and intercepted Matt Stafford's pass intended for receiver Cooper Kupp. Hufanga juggled the ball before making the catch and racing his way to the end zone untouched for the game-sealing pick-six. Oddly enough, the masterful play by Hufanga would give San Francisco their fourth pick-six against the Rams in as many years as they've returned one to the house in four consecutive seasons against L.A. dating back to the 2019 season. The interception would also put Stafford in dubious company as it marked his 28th career pick-six, tying him with Hall of Famer Joe Namath for the third-most since 1950. The game would also mark the second consecutive game in which he failed to throw a touchdown pass, the first time he's done so in consecutive weeks since Weeks 15 and 16 of the 2016 season. 

Adding insult to injury, the San Francisco defense would also force a late fumble on a quarterback sack by former Ram Samson Ebukam. Facing a banged up Rams offensive-line, San Francisco's defensive front had a field day with QB Matt Stafford, bringing him down for seven sacks on the evening, including two each from Nick Bosa and the aforementioned Ebukam. Meanwhile, the 49ers were able to keep Garoppolo on his feet all night long despite o-line issues of their own and being without All-Pro left-tackle Trent Williams who is expected to be out for 4 to 6 weeks while nursing a high-ankle sprain. Unfortunately, they would also lose Williams' replacement in Colton McKivitz who suffered an MCL sprain in this one, that will likely keep him out for up to two months. 

Unlike the NFC title game when the Rams rallied late from being down 10-points in the fourth quarter to top the Niners, L.A. had no answer late on Monday and has now been outscored 44-3 in the fourth quarter this season. Improving his perfect record to 7-0 in his regular-season career against the Rams, 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo now trails only Tom Brady's flawless 9-0 mark against the Falcons and Patrick Mahomes unblemished 9-0 record against the Broncos for the best record for an active QB vs a single opponent. As for 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, he now owns the longest active win streak vs a single head coach with 7-straight victories in the regular season over Rams head coach Sean McVay. Finishing with 239 yards passing and 1 touchdown for Jimmy G, 115 of those yards would come from Deebo Samuel who logged his 10th career game with over 100 yards receiving. Jeff Wilson led all rushers with 74 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, while the San Francisco defense shutdown L.A.'s run game entirely as no Ram rushed for more than 27 yards. Matt Stafford threw for 254 yards and an interception, but had a hard time feeding anyone not named Cooper Kupp or Tyler Higbee as the two finished with 122 and 73 yards, respectively. 

Week 5 Preview: Hitting the road again for their first of two consecutive games against NFC South opponents, the 49ers will look to record their first winning-streak of the season when they pay a visit to Carolina to face the 1-3 Panthers. Under first-year quarterback Baker Mayfield, things have not been good for the Panthers who were greeted with boos from the home crowd and are coming off a 26-16 loss at home to the Arizona Cardinals. Having had success against stopping the run so far this season, the San Francisco defense will try to keep things rolling against the versatile Christian McCaffrey who is coming off his third straight game with over 100 total yards of offense. 

With all four NFC Western Division foes at 2-2 on the year, the 49ers are the only team in the division with both of their wins coming against NFC West foes. While winning within the division is always nice, logging that first win against a team outside the division will be a nice start for San Francisco who has a tough stretch of games down the line on their schedule, and Carolina is a team the 49ers should certainly take advantage of and beat. 

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49ers Explode for 51-points in Win over Panthers

Week 8 - All the talk about the 49ers having a cake walk through the first seven weeks of the season would be put to rest on Sunday as 6-0 San Francisco played host to the 4-2 Carolina Panthers. Winners of four straight, Ron Rivera's Panthers team entered their meeting against the Niners with plenty of confidence and plans to pull off an upset while coming off a BYE. But despite Carolina being the ones well rested with over a week to prepare, it was the 49ers who came out swinging, showing fresh legs on both fronts and displaying pure domination from start to finish while donning their throwback uniforms. If there was any doubt that the 49er offense was beginning to sputter after putting up only 9-points in the rainy, swamp-like conditions of Washington's FedEx Field a week ago, Kyle Shanahan's squad put to rest any and all worries of a repeat performance on Sunday from the outset.

With San Francisco opening the game on offense, Jimmy Garoppolo and company would take us for a ride as the 49ers jumped ahead early on and never looked back. Capping an 11-play, 75-yard opening drive would be the newest member of the 49ers who was acquired just days earlier via trade. Adding a new target for Garoppolo to throw to, Emmanuel Sanders who was sent from the Denver Broncos during the week in exchange for a pair of draft picks, wasted little time to introduce himself to the 49er faithful on Sunday, scoring the first of seven touchdowns for a busy San Francisco offense. Sanders would catch only four passes for 25-yards on Sunday, including the 4-yard touchdown grab that made it 7-0. Equally as engaged was the 49er defense who also had a busy afternoon, forcing a three-and-out on Carolina's first offensive possession. However, an interception on the Niners' very next play would be one of the very few mistakes committed in what was otherwise a relatively clean day of football for coach Shanahan's team. Holding the Panthers to only a field goal, Garoppolo would shake off the turnover on the ensuing possession by marching his team down the field and allowing Tevin Coleman to do the rest.

Kick-starting an eventful afternoon on the ground, Coleman would scamper 19-yards for his first of four touchdowns on the day. Panthers quarterback Kyle Allen who has filled in rather nicely for the injured Cam Newton, entered the contest with a 5-0 record and an unblemished touchdown to interception ratio of 9-0, becoming the first QB to win his first five career starts with 0 interceptions since 1950. But in spite of his hot start, the San Francisco defense would not be impressed as Allen was picked off three times in this one when it was all said and done. Second-year cornerback Emmanuel Moseley would ignite the turnover frenzy by handing Kyle Allen his first career interception while also logging his own as the backup to starting corner Ahkello Witherspoon has dazzled since being called upon. Needing only three plays to capitalize on the Carolina miscue, Garoppolo would find Coleman on a scree-pass which he would take 10 yards to pay dirt. Coleman would make it a trio before the half with his biggest play yet, a 48-yard dash to the end zone which put his team ahead, 27-0 at the half. By halftime, the 49ers offense had out-gained that of Carolina's, 254 yards to 76.

The Panthers would begin to show a sliver of life in the second half, when Garoppolo was sacked in the end zone for a safety, and eventually led to good field position as Carolina began their next drive at midfield. Stud running back Christian McCaffrey who was held to only 21 yards thru the first two quarters, got going in the second half and ripped off his biggest play of the afternoon on a hand-off that he took 40-yards to the end zone for a touchdown before adding a successful 2-point conversion. McCaffrey's score would be the first rushing touchdown allowed to an opposing running back by the 49er defense this season. Ending the Panthers' sudden second half scoring run at 10 unanswered-points, another 75-yard scoring-drive was executed by the 49ers when Deebo Samuel finished off the possession with a 20-yard touchdown run that left the ballhandler untouched and the Carolina defense fooled. Intercepting Allen on back to back possessions would be Richard Sherman and Nick Bosa who would both get in on the fun. While Sherman's pick would setup the fourth and final touchdown of the day for running back Tevin Coleman, Bosa's interception which only led to a field goal, would be all the talk as it served as the cherry on top of what would end up being a monstrous day for the rookie.

While the 49er defense would log a season-high six quarterback sacks in the first half alone before finishing the game with seven, three of those would come from rookie Nick Bosa whom some are saying needs to be taken serious for not just Defensive Rookie of the Year, but also Defensive Player of the Year following his overly productive day on Sunday. Bosa, the 2nd overall pick in this year's Draft who turned just 22-years old four days earlier, became the first player in 49ers franchise history to record three sacks and an interception in a single game since 1982 and the youngest to record three sacks, a feat that had only been done by four other 49er players. Sandwiched between a pair of turnover on downs forced by the Niner defense, a 41-yard rushing touchdown by Raheem Mostert would cap the onslaught as the 49ers ran up the scoreboard by putting a 50-burger on the Carolina defense. Running away with the 51-13 victory, the 51-point outburst is the highest point total scored under coach Shanahan, surpassing the previous mark of 44-points scored on December 24, 2017 against the Jacksonville Jaguars and the most by a 49ers team since 1993 when Steve Young was under center.

Improving to 7-0 for only the second time in franchise history and first since 1990, it would be another game that Niners QB Jimmy Garoppolo didn't stack the stat sheet in, nor was it one where he needed to as Tevin Coleman supplied plenty of offense on his own while logging his first 100 yard performance of the season with a total of 105 yards rushing. Not to mention another stout showing by the defense which continues to obliterate their franchise-low mark of only seven takeaways from a season ago which also set an NFL record for the fewest in a single season. Completing 18 of 22 passes, Garoppolo tallied 175 yards thru the air along with two touchdowns and an interception as George Kittle hauled in a game-high six passes for 86-yards receiving to lead both teams. Meanwhile, Christian McCaffrey finished with 155 yards from scrimmage (117 yards rushing) and was the lone bright spot for the Carolina offense as Kyle Allen was held to only 158 yards passing and threw three interceptions while completing 19 of 37 pass attempts.

Week 9 Preview - Joining the 2013 Kansas City Chiefs as the only two teams in NFL history to begin a season 7-0 after winning only four or fewer games the previous year, the 49ers will look to make it 8-0 when they pay a visit to the desert to take on the Arizona Cardinals (3-4-1) on a short week. Despite both teams struggling the past several seasons, the rivalry between the two NFC West foes has been one-sided the last few years as the Cardinals have won their last 8 meetings against the 49ers. With the Cards coming off a 31-9 loss on the road to the New Orleans Saints after winning their previous three, the 49ers will get their first look at this year's No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray in a match-up that will pin him up against Nick Bosa, the No. 2 overall pick. Back to back games without a touchdown pass, the 49er defense will look to make it three straight touchdown-less games for the former Heisman Trophy winner who despite his recent scoring drought, still owns a 7 touchdown to 4 interception ratio on the year and has not committed a turnover in four straight contests. With injuries suffered to running backs David Johnson (ankle) and Chase Edmonds (hamstring), the Cardinals will feature a new weapon in their depleted backfield when they take the field on Thursday as the team announced on Monday that they had acquired Kenyan Drake from the Miami Dolphins via trade.


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49ers Slide to 6-0 with Win in Rainy D.C.

Week 7 - Continuing their road trip with a visit to the nation's capital to face the (1-5) Washington Redskins, the (5-0) San Francisco 49ers would look to keep their unblemished record in tact in a match-up that had the makings of a blowout. However, with rain in the forecast caused from tropical storm Nestor which battered the east coast, mother nature would have other plans. Raining from start to finish, the gridiron of FedEx Field would resemble a marsh by games end. The elements would serve as a defense for and against both teams as neither offense was able to establish any rhythm.

Winning the coin-toss and electing to differ, the 49er defense would be tested early on. After having the ball ran down their throat and allowing their first rushing touchdown of the season a week ago on the Rams' opening-drive, it appeared that San Francisco would face a similar fate during Washington's first possession. Coming off his first 100-yard performance of the season, running back Adrian Peterson picked up right where he left off in this one as the 'Skins employed a heavy dose of the future Hall of Famer early on. Running the ball on their first 10-plays, including nine by Peterson, the 34-year old veteran would be nearly halfway to the century mark after Washington's first possession alone as he tallied 49-yards on the ground. Unfortunately for him, those hard earned yards would be wasted as a 39-yard field goal attempt by Dustin Hopkins went wide right. The combination of rain and wind wouldn't be any more kind to 49ers kicker Robbie Gould as he too would miss a field goal, but from 45-yards out as the ball soared wide left. Already the seventh missed field goal of the season for Gould, he has already tied a career-high in misses for a single season less than halfway through the year. From that point on, you knew it would be a struggle for both squads as points were going to be hard to come by.

Knowing another field goal attempt would not be in their favor, Washington would decide to go for it on a 4th and 1 at the San Francisco 28 yard-line. Even after proving last week that gambling against this 49er defensive-line was a bad idea as they forced four turnover on downs against Los Angeles, the Redskins decided to try their luck anyway and were left disappointed as they failed to pickup the needed yard. The nasty elements would claim the first half as both teams headed into the locker room scoreless. Thinking their luck on 4th down would be any different, Kyle Shanahan and the 49er offense was sadly mistaken on their first drive of the second half as Jimmy Garoppolo was picked off on a pass attempt to Dante Pettis on 4th and 5. Forcing a three and out thanks to a big sack by Arik Armstead, the 49er offense would finally put some points on the board as a big 40-yard play from Garoppolo to Richie James Jr. helped setup a 28-yard field goal that Robbie Gould would redeem himself with. Looking to answer and putting together a nice drive of their own, the 'Skins would make it to the San Francisco 29 yard-line before a pivotal play by the 49er defense stopped them in their tracks.

Linebacker Kwon Alexander would strip Peterson of the ball, allowing Jullian Taylor to scoop up his first career fumble recovery and turn it into a 10-yard gain. Turning the turnover into points, the 49ers would put another field goal on the board to increase their lead. Adding a third and final field goal to make it a 9-0 49er advantage, the game would be out of reach for Washington and with the clock winding down, rookie Nick Bosa would add a fitting end to the game as he collected a sack on the final play. Bosa and his 49er teammates would then turn the soggy field into their own personal slip 'n' slide as he celebrated his game-ending sack by sliding belly first before being joined by others who slid and made mud angels as the clock hit double-zero. Cornerback Richard Sherman said it best during his postgame interview, appropriately proclaiming his team, "Mud Bowl 2019 Champions" following their dominant victory in less than ideal conditions and with seven starters out of the lineup. With the win, their first shutout since 2016, the 49ers improved to 6-0 for the first time since 1990 and only the third time in franchise history. It would also mark the first time in franchise history that San Francisco had won a game by a final score of 9-0. Emphasizing after the game that he likes that his team can win the blowout games when needed as well as those when facing adversity and now the ugly ones in treacherous conditions, coach Shanahan praised his team for how they answered the call in the grind-it-out win against his former team.

And though the box score and final stat line wouldn't be anything to write home about for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo as he completed 12 of 21 pass attempts for 151 yards and an interception, he made the big plays in the passing game when he needed to and still outshined his counterpart as Washington QB Case Keenum was held to only 77 yards on 9 of 12 passes. Not to mention no other QB in 49ers franchise history has more than 10 wins in their first 14 starts compared to Jimmy G who is now a career 12-2 at the helm in SF. Bosa, Armstead and Dee Ford each tallied a quarterback sack to make things hard on Keenum as the San Francisco defense has now allowed 7 or fewer points in three straight games, their longest streak since Weeks 14-16 of the 1987 season. They're also one of just three teams to hold their opponents to 20 or fewer points in each game this season. As for the ground game, with Matt Breida leaving with a concussion after only 35 yards on 8 carries, Tevin Coleman led the attack with 62 yards on 20 rush attempts. And Adrian Peterson who was 1-yard shy of 50 following Washington's first possession, rushed for only 32-yards the rest of the way and finished with a game-high 81 yards.

Week 8 Preview - The (6-0) 49ers will return home to Levi's Stadium in Week 8 where they'll host the (4-2) Carolina Panthers. Winners of four straight, the Panthers have shown new life after a rough 0-2 start and are not to be taken lightly as they're coming off of a BYE week. After losing former MVP quarterback Cam Newton to a Lisfranc injury in Week 2, Carolina was thought to be doomed in the NFC South, but has instead stayed afloat thanks to backup QB Kyle Allen who has filled in nicely in Newton's absence. It also helps when you've got a weapon as dangerous as running back Christian McCaffrey who has been an absolute scoring machine for the Panthers and will certainly be a nice test for the San Francisco defense. Trailing only the (6-1) New Orleans Saints for the top spot in the division, Carolina will look to keep their own hot streak alive while hoping to put an end to San Francisco's. With the rival (5-2) Seattle Seahawks falling at home to the Baltimore Ravens, the 49ers now own a 2-game cushion in the NFC Western Division standings. 


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49ers stick around before falling late to Panthers

Week 2 - With the 49ers on the road in Carolina on short rest to face the defending NFC Champion Panthers (0-1), they'd be given a tall task if they wanted to improve to 2-0 on the year. As if being on short rest wasn't already a disadvantage in the NFL, Carolina on the other hand had as much rest as you could possibly want, having played four days earlier than San Francisco in the Thursday night opener in a Super Bowl rematch against the Broncos. And with the Panthers coming up short, suffering a heart-wrenching 21-20 loss on a missed field goal by kicker Graham Gano as time expired, we all knew Carolina would come into their home-opener with a chip on their shoulder and in need of a big win to bounce back and avoid an 0-2 start. After kickoff, it would be the 49ers who got off to a fast start as the San Francisco defense came up with an interception on Cam Newton's first pass attempt of the afternoon just two plays in.

Unfortunately, the 49ers would have to settle for a Phil Dawson field goal. After forcing Carolina to punt on their second possession, the Niners had a chance to jump out to an even bigger lead in the 1st quarter, but a Carlos Hyde fumble inside his own 20 would put the Panthers on the board and ahead as the ball was recovered and taken into the end zone for a Carolina touchdown. The 49er defense would turn the tables on Carolina's next offensive possession, forcing a fumble and this time capitalizing with a trip to the end zone as Blaine Gabbert found Torrey Smith for a 28-yard touchdown. San Francisco's 10-7 lead would be short lived, however, as a 78-yard bomb on Carolina's next play would put them back ahead for good as Newton connected with his tight-end Greg Olsen who was left all alone down the middle. The Panthers would add a late field goal to take a 17-10 lead into the half as San Francisco still had hopes of pulling off the upset.

Those hopes would vanish, reappear and then vanish once again in the second half as the game soon became the Kelvin Benjamin show. Having missed all of the 2015 season last year with a torn ACL suffered during training camp, the former first round draft pick has picked up right where he left off before the injury and has shown no ill effects of a surgically repaired knee as he caught touchdown passes on back to back drives to open the second half. Thanks to their dominant 3rd quarter, the Panthers lead would improve to 31-10 as the game seemed well out of reach for the 49ers. But as soon as the 4th quarter started, things began to turn in the 49ers favor. Two plays into the final period, the San Francisco defense would flush Newton out of the pocket for a sack, forcing him to fumble and turning the miscue into three points. A muffed punt return by Ted Ginn Jr. on the ensuing kick would put the Niners offense right back in business on the 1-yard line. Gabbert would do it himself on the very next play, prancing into the end zone untouched.

With plenty of game left and the Panthers hanging onto a 34-20 lead midway thru the 4th, the 49ers would pull off their biggest play of the game on a 75-yard catch and dash touchdown as Gabbert found tight-end Vance McDonald who was aided with a nice block from receiver Quinton Patton as he ran down the sideline for the score. After Carolina answered with a field goal to make it a two possession game, Gabbert who had registered a clean game up to that point, would suffer a pair of late 4th quarter interceptions, dooming any chance of pulling off the miraculous comeback. Newton would put the Niners out of their misery with a late touchdown to Devin Funchess, giving him four touchdown passes on the afternoon and putting him over the 350-yards passing mark. Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart would suffer a hamstring injury early on in the game which opened the door for backup RB Fozzy Whittaker who filled in quite nicely by rushing for 100 yards on 16 carries in Stewart's absence. As for San Francisco's run game which wasn't nearly as effective as it was in Week 1, Carlos Hyde and Shaun Draughn were held to a combined 55 yards on 23 carries. Gabbert finished with 243 passing yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in the 46-27 loss.

Week 3 Preview - With the 49ers traveling to Seattle to take on the bitter rival Seahawks (1-1) in Week 3, San Francisco will need a win in order to hang on to first place in the division. With the Rams, Cardinals, Seahawks and 49ers all 1-1 thru the first two weeks of the season, the 49ers are the only team in the NFC West with a 1-0 record within the division, thus giving them sole possession of first place in the early going. Though it's been years since the 49ers have able to pull off a win in Seattle, Pete Carroll's Seahawks haven't looked too good thru the first two weeks after surviving a late scare at Home to the Dolphins in Week 1 followed by a loss to the Rams on Sunday. But by no means will coach Chip Kelly and company be able to underestimate Seattle QB Russell Wilson, even if he's still hobbled by a sprained ankle suffered in Week 1. With another stout effort on defense and a bounce back performance on the ground from Carlos Hyde as well as clean game in the turnover department from Blaine Gabbert, the 49ers may be able to leave Seattle with a 'W'.


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Denver's Dominant Defense too much for Newton's Panthers in Super Bowl 50

Super Bowl 50 - Two years ago at Super Bowl 48, Peyton Manning was thrashed by a defense that led to a 43-8 dismantling of the Denver Broncos. This time around, it was the defense that carried him to his second Super Bowl victory on Sunday and the team to its third. In a game that featured little excitement on offense for either team despite Carolina owning the highest-scoring offense in the league, it was defense that took center stage in this one. While both teams entered the golden game with defenses among the league's best, nobody expected the struggles on offense to play out quite like they did come kickoff. With "Keep Pounding" being Carolina's motto all season long, the only pounding they'd see on their side was from reigning NBA MVP and avid Panthers fan Steph Curry who helped introduce Carolina onto the field by banging a black and teal drum draped with the motto. The rest of the pounding would be at Carolina's expense and supplied by Denver's dominant front seven as there would be no dabbing or selfies taking place by members of the Panthers on this day. 

With Carolina winning the coin toss and electing to differ, Denver had no problem receiving the ball first and getting things started as Manning threw a strike to his tight-end Owen Daniels for an 18-yard gain on the game's opening-play. He would follow it up just three plays later with a 22-yard connection to receiver Andre Caldwell. A pair of nice runs from running back C.J. Anderson would help Denver march into field goal range as kicker Brandon McManus capped what would be his team's best drive of the day with an early field goal to put his team on top. It would mark the first time that Carolina trailed at any time during the postseason all year. And from that point on, Denver never looked back. After exchanging punts, Carolina took over on offense deep in their own territory, spelling doom for Cam Newton and company as Von Miller broke through and wisely went for the ball instead of a sack, stripping it away from the quarterback as teammate Malik Jackson scooped up the ball in the end zone for the defensive touchdown. Despite playing in a record-tying eighth Super Bowl, it was the first in which they've ever scored a touchdown on defense. The big play on defense and first sack of the game would be the first of many by the Broncos D.

And just like that, Carolina found themselves in a hole, down 10-0 on the biggest stage imaginable. Though the 10-0 deficit wasn't completely foreign to the Panthers who trailed by 10+ points on three occasions this season and came back to win all three games, being asked to make such a comeback against a defense like Denver's would be a different story. During the two weeks in between the Conference Championships and Super Bowl Sunday, all we heard from Carolina's side was the debate of whether or not this Panthers team would be touted as one of the all-time great teams if they could come out on top. But the team that entered the big game a combined 17-1 on the season, resembled an entirely different group come game time. And no one player looked more uncomfortable during the game than quarterback Cam Newton who was named the league MVP the night before. Hoping to become the first league MVP to win the Super Bowl in the same year since Kurt Warner of the 1999 St. Louis Rams, Newton was held in check and looked like a shadow of the QB that entered the game having dominated along his journey to get there.

Not accustomed to playing from behind, Newton did manage to temporarily kick those jitters to the side as the Panthers offense finally got things going to start the second quarter. After having good field position wiped out by an illegal block penalty on the kick, Carolina stringed together their only decent drive of the game, with running back Jonathan Stewart soaring into the end zone from a yard out to put the Panthers on the board. After the touchdown that made it a 10-7 game, both teams exchanged punts. During Carolina's punt, however, the Panthers special-teams made the terrible mistake of assuming Broncos return man Jordan Norwood had called for a fair-catch. The brain cramp would cost them as Norwood returned the punt for a record-setting 61-yards, the longest punt return in Super Bowl history. The return would set the Broncos up for a second field goal by McManus, increasing Denver's lead to 13-7. Things would go from bad to worse for the Panthers on offense as fullback Mike Tolbert fumbled at midfield for the first time all year, recovered by the Denver defense. Luckily for Panthers head coach Ron Rivera and company, it wouldn't cost them.

With the Broncos offense threatening one final time before the half and looking to make it a double-digit ballgame, the Panthers defense came thru with an interception in Carolina territory as defensive end Kony Ealy stepped in front of a pass intended for Emanuel Sanders. While it would be his only mistake in the game, the interception by Manning snapped a postseason career-best 164 consecutive pass attempts without an interception and gave him at least one in all four of his Super Bowl appearances, tying a mark held by his boss and Broncos Vice President -- John Elway. The Panthers were unable to cash the turnover in for points, but it did keep the game within striking distance as Denver took their 13-7 lead with them into the half. With how many self-inflicted miscues the Panthers committed in the first half, they were fortunate enough to head into the locker room staring down a deficit of only 6-points. Having entered the game on the opposite side of things by outscoring opponents 55-7 during the first half this postseason, Carolina found themselves in uncharted waters.

And just when you thought the Panthers had flipped the switch to open the second half, they continued to shoot themselves in the foot once again. After connecting with receiver Ted Ginn Jr. on the second play of the half for the longest reception of the game -- a 45-yarder, the Panthers seemed bound to put a dent into Denver's lead, if not pull ahead. Instead, kicker Graham Gano missed a 44-yard field goal attempt, doinking it off the right upright. As for his counterpart, McManus continued to bang 'em thru as Manning marched the offense into field goal range once more, adding to their lead. With Carolina in need of a response, Cam Newton unloaded a deep pass that was snatched in the air by a leaping Corey Brown for a 42-yard pickup. Sadly, the drive would hit a brick wall with much of the same for Carolina as Newton was picked off just four plays later on a pass that was too hot to handle intended for Ginn. Safety T.J. Ward came up with the interception before fumbling the ball on the return and being saved by a Broncos teammate who made the recovery.

Carolina would show some late signs of life in the fourth as it was their defensive end Ealy who came up with yet another big play on defense, stripping Manning of the ball and forcing the turnover. They would capitalize the fumble recovery with a field goal that Gano converted on to inch closer and make it a 16-10 affair. Taking over with less than five minutes remaining and down by six, Denver dealt the final blow on a strip by Von Miller, recovered by Ward. The play drew quite the scrum for the ball and quite the discussion as Newton appeared to have given up on the play by electing not to dive for the loose ball. Taking over from the 4-yard line, Denver would provide the last nail in the coffin as C.J. Anderson ran it in from 2-yards out to make it a two-score game. And just for extra measure, Denver converted on the two-point conversion to seal it, pulling off the 24-10 victory.

With the win, Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak became the first to ever win a Super Bowl as a player and coach for the same team. He's also only the fourth coach in NFL history to hoist a Lombardi Trophy in his first year at the helm. As for Manning who surpassed Brett Favre for the most wins all-time with win No. 200, Peyton becomes the 12th QB to win two Super Bowl titles and the first to do it with different teams. As for his future, Manning has refused to tip his hand as to whether or not he'll be retiring and says he plans to take some time to weigh his options now that the season is over. A move Elway approves of and encouraged Manning he took as much as he needs to think it over. Though winning his second ring should make his decision to step away from the game a bit easier, Denver's defense is so good that it just might entice him to come back for one last rodeo in hopes of winning back-to-back titles and retiring the same way Elway did, even if Manning is half the quarterback he once was. One player who won't garner nearly as much credit and appreciation that he deserves during Denver's title run is backup QB Brock Osweiler who would be getting the short end of the stick if Manning does return in 2016.

As much as we would like to remember this game as Manning's last hurrah (potentially), it was all about Denver's defense which tied a Super Bowl record with seven sacks and paved the way to victory. Not since Super Bowl 48 have we seen as dominant a performance like the one we saw on Sunday. But after that 43-8 shellacking at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks, it's safe to say that Denver not only learned from their lesson, but tried duplicating the same formula that they were on the receiving end of last time around. In the win, Manning threw for just 141 yards with zero touchdowns and one interception as Denver's 194 total yards were the fewest ever for a Super Bowl-winning team. On the losing side of things, Newton threw for 265 yards while also going touchdown-less and throwing an interception as the Panthers were held one-dimensional by the dominant Denver D.


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Panthers-Broncos to meet in Super Bowl 50

As the 2015 NFL season nears its end, the table is set for Super Bowl 50. With less than two weeks to prepare ourselves for the big game on February 7, we take a look at the two teams who will be vying for the Lombardi Trophy and the very different roads they've journeyed to get there. While one team we had a feeling could be there since the start of the season (Denver), the other came out of nowhere and has been somewhat of a surprise (Carolina). But I'll start with the one team and one man who everyone in and around the game could possibly remember this Super Bowl by and that's the Denver Broncos and their fading star of a quarterback -- Peyton Manning. 

Just two years removed from their most recent Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl 48 which Bronco fans would rather forget took place as their team was dismantled, 43-8 by a dominant Seattle defense, this year's Denver team has been polar opposites of their 2013 selves. Making their way to the big game by way of their offense which was tops in the league and among the greatest in league history just two seasons ago, this year's Broncos team made their way back to the Super Bowl in a very different way, flipping the script if you will, by boasting the league's best defense. With future Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning and the Denver offense taking a backseat, the 2015 Broncos are a team that has thrived and relied heavily on their defense. Mind you this is the same team that endured a rough patch that saw five consecutive weeks without scoring a single offensive touchdown and often looked better with Brock Osweiler in under center and Manning, one of the greatest to ever play the position, on the bench. While their offense has often been under fire and constantly questioned, the same can't be said for the defense, having allowed the fewest yards per game this season (283) and forcing the most sacks (52) under defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. 

It's no wonder that this will be Manning's fourth Super Bowl appearance, (frankly, he should've reached this number a long time ago), as he gets set to take the field as the oldest quarterback to ever start a Super Bowl at age 39. And when he does take the field in what could possibly be the last game of his illustrious career, he'll become the first QB ever to make multiple Super Bowl appearances with multiple teams, while also becoming the first at his position to reach four Super Bowl's under four different head coaches. Manning is eclipsed by only Tom Brady and John Elway who have more Super Bowl appearances under their belts. But this game and story line shouldn't be all about Manning even though it most likely will be. The guy simply isn't the player he once was and while his team usually gets to the big game because of him, this year they've made it to the big game in spite of him. That's no knock on arguably the greatest regular season quarterback of all-time, but just further proof that father time waits for no man. 

But back to the Denver defense which won them the right to play in Super Bowl 50 with a dominant performance over the reigning Super Bowl champion New England Patriots in the AFC Championship's 20-18 win. Denver's D got to Brady four times for a sack and a heck of a lot more times with quarterback hits mostly provided by Von Miller who had a hell of a game recording 2.5 sacks of his own to go along with one of two Brady interceptions, the hits being the most Tom Terrific has ever suffered in his playoff career. If Manning hoists his second career Lombardi Trophy, one that should help him ride off into the sunset and make stepping away from the game of football a bit easier, it'll most likely be a result of another dominant performance by the defense and not by the potent offenses teams of Manning's Super Bowl past have been known for. 

Meanwhile, the Carolina Panthers enter next Sunday's game red-hot and resembling a team of destiny. With a dominant regular season which many believed they could finish undefeated, the lone loss to the division rival Atlanta Falcons in Week 16 is the only blemish on Carolina's 2015 resume. But I was one of the few who believed the Panthers suffering a loss that would disrupt their push for a perfect season would do them more good than harm. And now that they know they could be beaten, they've given it their all and have refused to take their foot off the gas pedal. Well except for maybe that near collapse in the NFC Divisional round meeting where they nearly let Seattle march all the way back from a 31-point deficit in the second half. But Carolina rebounded by not letting a double-digit lead heading into the half of last Sunday's NFC title game get to their head or slip away as the NFC's second-best team in the Arizona Cardinals appeared to be no match for the now 17-1 Panthers who ran away with the 49-15 romp. 

Though Carolina's defense is also stellar but isn't quite up to par with Denver's which could cause problems up the middle and get to the quarterback with the best of 'em, it does feature the balance you want in a team on both sides of the ball. With playmakers on defense such as linebackers Luke Keuchle and Thomas Davis (who suffered a broken arm on Sunday but is expected to play) as well as this year's most shutdown cornerback in Josh Norman, just to name a few, Carolina comes in having caused the most takeaways in the league with 39, 24 of which being interceptions which they led the league in. But even then, this Panthers team has been most known for their offensive scoring ability which is tops in the league and none other than their captain in quarterback Cam Newton. With Newton most likely to be named league MVP, an award his counterpart Peyton Manning has won a record five times, the former Heisman Trophy winner would like nothing more than to capture the first Lombardi Trophy in Carolina Panthers franchise history. 

What's most remarkable about Carolina's explosive offense and the year they've had, is they've managed to do it all without their best receiver as Kelvin Benjamin has been sidelined all season long with a torn ACL he suffered in training camp. With the second-year wide-out expected to make a full recovery in time for the 2016 regular season, Carolina's offense could very well be just as good if not better next year. But before we get ahead of ourselves, the match-up between quarterback's Newton and Manning is an intriguing one because of the 13-year age difference which will be the largest in Super Bowl history. Not to mention the very different playing styles both QB's posses. Through the air or on the ground, Newton can do it all as he showed in Sunday's win with a pair of rushing and passing touchdowns, whereas Sunday's AFC Championship saw the first rush for a first down by Manning all year -- a 12-yard dash which happened to be his longest playoff run since his rookie season. And then there's the fact that this'll be the first ever Super Bowl meeting between two quarterback's taken first overall in their respective Draft's (Manning in 1998 and Newton in 2011). 

By punching their ticket to the big game, Carolina is only the ninth team to enter the Super Bowl with one loss or fewer, joining only the 2007 Patriots to have done it in the last 30 years. It'll also be the franchise's second Super Bowl appearance, still seeking their first victory. As for Denver, it'll be their eighth appearance, tying the Patriots, Cowboys and Steelers for the most all-time, and a win would give them their third. For what it's worth, 10 of the last 11 Super Bowl winners have donned white uniforms. Coincidentally, Carolina's only other Super Bowl appearance was in 2004 and resulted in a loss to the Patriots while wearing their white uni's. This time around they've chosen to go with black, allowing Denver to go with the more popular white uniforms. Superstitious or not, it's something Bronco fans should be ecstatic about considering they won't be wearing the orange uni's that seem to be bad luck seeing as they were demolished in them two years ago and have gone 0-4 all-time in Super Bowl's while in orange. 

Prediction: Now for how I think the big game will play out. Super Bowl 50 will be the third consecutive Super Bowl in which both No. 1 seeds reach the big game, proving once again just how important home field advantage is come playoff time. And with this game being played on the neutral grounds of San Francisco at Santa Clara's Levi's Stadium, home of the 49ers, there'll be no home field advantage for either coach Ron Rivera or coach Gary Kubiak. As we've learned in the past and most notably the last time Denver made its trip to the Super Bowl, defense wins championships. With that said, all signs would point towards me taking the defensive-minded Broncos, right? Wrong! I'm not going to claim that the only reason the Broncos are Super Bowl-bound is because of a missed extra-point by the usually automatic Stephen Gostkowski, but the truth is that the missed PAT (ending a streak of 523 consecutive makes) changed the entire complexion of how coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots approached the game, having to go for that failed two-point conversion with just seconds remaining which sealed the Broncos' win and sent New England packing. 

I'll also give Peyton some credit for the two first half drives he led the Broncos offense on which resulted in touchdowns, but I'm afraid he'll be asked to put up a lot more points against a high octane offense like Carolina's. Something I don't think he'll be able to do as the opposing team's secondary will once again prove to be his kryptonite. Though I don't necessarily see Newton and the Carolina offense running amok quite like they have in each of the past two games as they'll have a much better defense in front of them come Super Bowl Sunday, I just don't see any offense exchanging punches with Carolina, and certainly not one led by the aging Peyton Manning and a run game that failed to get going until late against the Patriots. But that's not to say Denver doesn't stand a chance. If they can contain Newton and running back Jonathan Stewart on the ground like they did New England's ground attack and apply the same pressure to Newton that doomed Brady, they'll pull off the upset. With that said, it'll be intriguing to see how they approach a QB of Newton's caliber whom possesses arguably the most dangerous duel-threat ability in the game. Regardless, I'm taking Carolina who I think pulls off the 27-17 win with receiver and kick return specialist Teddy Ginn Jr. scoring a late touchdown to seal it for the Panthers' first-ever Super Bowl triumph.

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