The Carolina Panthers suffered a 20-9 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night, missing a chance to lead the NFC South. Quarterback Bryce Young took ownership of his poor performance, completing 18 of 29 passes for 169 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Despite three first-half interceptions by their defense off Brock Purdy, the Panthers managed only three points from those turnovers.
The Panthers entered the game with an opportunity to claim sole possession of first place in the NFC South but instead sputtered offensively in San Francisco. Bryce Young, coming off a strong 448-yard, three-touchdown outing in Week 11, reverted to inconsistent play. He finished with a 60.8 passer rating, marking his seventh game in 2025 with fewer than 170 passing yards—the most by a starting quarterback this season.
A critical error came on first-and-goal at the 1-yard line after Jaycee Horn's interception. On a play-action pass, Young held the ball too long, forcing a throw to tight end Mitchell Evans that safety Ji'Ayir Brown intercepted in the end zone. 'I can't put the ball in peril like that,' Young said postgame. 'I need to do a better job of executing myself. I take all ownership in that.'
The offense struggled overall, converting just 1 of 7 third downs, attempting only nine rushes, and generating 12 first downs on 43 plays for 230 total yards. Young found rhythm briefly in the third quarter, hitting rookie Tetairoa McMillan for Carolina's lone touchdown. He faced pressure on just seven dropbacks and was sacked once, per Next Gen Stats.
Defensively, the Panthers forced three turnovers from Purdy in the first half but scored only three points off them. Christian McCaffrey contributed 142 scrimmage yards on 31 touches for the 49ers.
Postgame tension arose when 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings struck Panthers safety Tre'von Moehrig after an in-game low blow, leading to Moehrig's suspension.
Now 6-6, the Panthers host the 9-2 Los Angeles Rams on a short week before their Week 14 bye. Tampa Bay leads the NFC South at 6-5, with a late-season matchup looming. 'It sucks, but we have to flush it quick,' Young said.