Kyle Madson, Niners WireTue, November 25, 2025 at 7:17 AM UTC·5 min readThe San Francisco 49ers gutted out a 20-9 win over the Carolina Panthers on Monday Night Football to close out Week 12 of the NFL season.
It was an up-and-down affair where the 49ers didn't play particularly well, but they felt in control the entire game thanks in part to some timely defensive stops and just enough offense to overcome a dreadful start for quarterback Brock Purdy (more on this later).
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHere are nine takeaways and things that mattered from the 49ers' Week 12 win:
Brock Purdy struggles
Purdy's first game back from injury last week vs. the Arizona Cardinals went fine. Monday night was a borderline disaster. He threw three interceptions in the first half and finished the game 23-of-32 for 193 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. While he did complete nine-of-nine in the second half for 79 yards, it looked like he and the 49ers weren't eager to get aggressive down the field. Purdy's willingness to air it out is what helps separate him from Mac Jones, but if he's going to put the ball in harm's way as often as he did Monday, then the 49ers will quickly determine it isn't worth the upside.
The new Christian McCaffrey
It's clear there's a lack of burst from McCaffrey as he nears 30-years old and racks up touches at a ridiculous rate. However, he's still a savvy runner with the ability to churn out productive touches. What's becoming clear is the explosive plays aren't liable to return for the 49ers' star RB. He's been effective all year, and he was again Monday night with 142 scrimmage yards and one touchdown on 31 touches. If the 49ers are going to make any noise in January, it's going to be on the back of gritty McCaffrey performances like the one we saw Monday.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement49ers newfound turnover luck on defense
A major development may be happening for the 49ers' defense. They're still not doing a great job of rushing the quarterback, but they're finding ways to generate turnovers. Ji'Ayir Brown had a pair of interceptions Monday night, making it two weeks in a row the 49ers have pulled down multiple interceptions after not having one until Week 8 this year. They also have five takeaways the last two weeks after having only seven in the first 10 weeks. If San Francisco can take the ball away with some level of consistency it paints a much more optimistic outlook for them defensively down the stretch.
Leaning on the top guys
Purdy wasn't shy about throwing to his best players Monday. Of his 32 throws, 24 of them went to George Kittle, McCaffrey and Jauan Jennings. Additionally, eight of Purdy's nine throws in the second half went to one of those three players. When he needed to buckle down, he found his best pass catchers. That's something to watch moving forward. Does Purdy continue that trend in his quest to avoid giveaways, or was that a single-game quirk?
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWhere is Ricky Pearsall?
Speaking of Purdy's top pass catchers, he and Pearsall haven't been able to get on the same page. The 2024 first-round pick had one catch for no yards in Week 11. Against the Panthers he had two catches for six yards. Three catches for six yards across two weeks is not what the 49ers had planned for Pearsall, and it certainly isn't putting the 49ers in a position to maximize their offense.
A dubious Clelin Ferrell stat
Ferrell snagged his second sack of the season Monday night in what was only his third game in San Francisco. Here's the problem, though: Ferrell is now second on the team in sacks this season with 2.0. Only eight players on the roster have at least 0.5 sacks this season and two of them (Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams) are out for the season. Ferrell is tied with Bosa and Sam Okuayinonu with 2.0 sacks this season.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNFC playoff picture
San Francisco's victory kept them in their place at No. 7 in the NFC postseason picture, a game up on the Detroit Lions in the win column. They're also now two games clear of the No. 9 seed Panthers with the head-to-head tiebreaker. The 49ers are also 8-2 in the NFC, which could become a tiebreaker that decides whether they make the playoffs in 2025.
Matt Gay's perfect debut
The 49ers tried out five kickers before landing on Gay. He was a practice squad elevation Monday night and delivered a perfect performance. Gay connected on both of his extra point attempts and connected on field goals from 47 and 29 yards out. It's unclear whether the 49ers will need Gay again in Week 13 when they visit the Cleveland Browns, but so far so good in their quest to replace the injured Eddy Pineiro.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementRookie LB Nick Martin stands out
Martin wasn't a factor defensively in Week 12, but he did shine on special teams. He had two loud tackles, one of which forced a fumble. This is where Martin is going to make a name for himself with the coaching staff. If there aren't defensive snaps for Martin, he has to make plays on special teams. Games like the one he had Monday could be helpful in the third-round rookie establishing a foundation to become an impactful defensive player in the near future.
More 49ers: Kyle Shanahan postgame injury update vs. Panthers has rare good news
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers vs. Panthers: 9 takeaways, players who stood out for SF
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