The 49ers and Panthers will round out the NFL's Week 12 slate in primetime on Monday night, as former Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy gets set to battle against former No. 1 pick Bryce Young.
After a 1–3 start, Carolina has turned things around and with a win, could potentially come out of the weekend on top of the NFC South. The Panthers sit at 6–5, having won five of their last seven games.
Meanwhile, San Francisco put up 41 points in Purdy’s return to the starting quarterback role during last week’s win against the Cardinals. The Niners are 7–4 on the year, but have gone 3–3 in their last six outings.
Here’s a quick look at each team’s place in their respective standings heading into Monday night:
NFC South Standings
NFC West Standings
With two teams vying to stay afloat in the NFL playoff race, there’s plenty on the line for Monday night’s game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Here are three bold predictions for the clash.
Ricky Pearsall will score his first touchdown of the season
Pearsall returned to action last week during the win against Arizona, but he wasn’t too heavily involved in the offense. Pearsall was targeted just twice and caught one pass for zero yards in what was his first game since Sept. 28 after being sidelined with a sprained PCL.
Pearsall has struggled to stay on the field early into his career, but when he’s active, he’s a big play threat at all times. Prior to the injury, he was emerging as a focal point of the 49ers’ passing game. In his first four games, Pearsall already had two contests with 100-plus receiving yards, and had caught four or more passes in each game. He should see more looks from Purdy on Monday night after a quiet game in Week 11.
I’m expecting Pearsall to have another 100-plus yard game, but this time, he’ll also score a touchdown for the first time all season. –Karl Rasmussen
Rico Dowdle will bounce back with another big performance
After a five-week stretch in which Dowdle rushed for 554 yards, the Panthers running back has totaled just 98 yards on the ground in his last two games combined. He continues to see the bulk of the workload out of the backfield, and I’m expecting him to bounce back with a big game against the 49ers.
San Francisco’s defense stifled Arizona’s rushing attack, though that was largely the result of the Niners getting an early lead and the Cardinals abandoning the run game almost entirely. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett actually set an NFL record with 47 completions in the game. Prior to that game, the 49ers had surrendered more than 100 rushing yards in three straight games.
I think they’ll have a more difficult time jumping out to an early lead against Carolina, and Dowdle will have plenty of opportunities to break a big run. I’m expecting Dowdle to rush for 100-plus yards for the fourth time this year, and score a touchdown as well. –Rasmussen
Panthers win again to take over top spot in NFC South
The Panthers have done a complete 180 since their 5–12 finish to last season, and again from their 1–3 start to this year’s campaign.
More specifically, over Young's last six starts, which excludes a Week 8 loss to the Bills, Carolina has gone 5–1 while the third-year quarterback has thrown nine touchdowns against four interceptions. Additionally, in last Sunday’s overtime win over the Falcons, Young threw for 448 yards and three touchdowns, didn't commit a turnover, and posted a season-high 123.2 passer rating.
With the Buccaneers’ loss to the Rams on Sunday night, a Panthers win would land them atop the NFC South standings—a place they haven’t finished in since 2015. Behind another solid performance from Young, that’s exactly what I’m predicting happens against San Francisco.
Look for the Panthers to come out victorious, 24–20, over the 49ers Monday night, thanks to another turnover-free outing from their suddenly franchise quarterback. –Mike Kadlick
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as 49ers vs. Panthers: Three Bold Predictions for Week 12 ‘Monday Night Football’ .
