The Panthers were beaten soundly in all three phases by the 49ers today. San Francisco got an early lead and never looked back, going on to win 51-13.
Here are seven takeaways from the loss.
The Panthers got a reality check
All you realistically can hope for facing a playoff team on the road is to keep it competitive. That did not happen today. The 49ers dominated this game from the opening drive to the final whistle and it never looked at any point like the Panthers might mount a serious comeback. If this was a measuring stick game, it’s abundantly clear Carolina has a ways to go before it can compete with the NFL’s true 2019 contenders. This kind of loss can be devastating for a team’s confidence – think the blowout in Pittsburgh last season. They need a win next week to get this taste out of their mouths.
Kyle Allen turned back into a pumpkin
Allen had performed as well as anyone could expect from a backup QB over the last four games prior to this one. His limitations were on display in this contest, though. The Niners defense represented a challenge that he’s simply not equipped for. Allen held onto the ball entirely too long too many times, which led to several sacks. In the end, Allen finished just 19/37 for 158 yards and threw three interceptions. Cam Newton may or may not have done any better against what looks like the top defense in the NFC, but his ability to escape pressure would have been welcome.
Christian McCaffrey remains a bad man
The 49ers might have the toughest defensive unit in the conference by far. Even they couldn’t slow down Carolina’s MVP candidate, though. McCaffrey was effective both as a rusher and a receiver today, posting 155 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. When it was all but official, the Panthers wisely took McCaffrey off the field and gave Jordan Scarlett some snaps. CMC’s totals would have been even higher if a huge run hadn’t been called back thanks to a pointless penalty by Trai Turner.
New offensive line combinations not working
Speaking of pointless penalties, the Panthers mixed up their offensive line combinations today and the results were less than ideal. To give you an idea of how backwards things were, Taylor Moton started at left tackle and Daryl Williams took his spot at right tackle. Williams gave up a sack to Nick Bosa to end the first drive of the game. Later, Dennis Daley came in to replace Moton but the unit continued to struggle. Whatever they were trying to do here, Ron Rivera and John Matsko have to go back to the drawing board. Their decision to keep Williams in the lineup was baffling. This was a misfire all around.
The Panthers defense is missing Kawann Short
Carolina has an excellent defense this season. At least we thought so. Some cracks have begun to form and are growing every week. Worst of all is the team’s ability to stop the run, which has been falling off ever since their superstar defensive tackle Kawann Short landed on the injured reserve list. Today, Tevin Coleman went off for 105 rushing yards and three touchdowns on just 11 carries. Truly an embarrassing showing for the run defense.
Ron Rivera was outmatched by Kyle Shanahan
Ron Rivera was straight up out-matched by 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, who used Rivera’s aggressive instincts on defense against him. His creative play-calling was a significant factor in their victory. Shanahan put on a clinic of deception and pre-snap motion, which kept the Panthers defense off-balance. Rivera may have two Coach of the Year trophies, but this was about as bad as it gets from a coaching perspective.
Next up: The 4-4 Titans
Sometimes the only thing to do after a defeat like this is to lick your wounds, burn the tape and move on to the next game. With that in mind, the Panthers will be back at home next week to host the Titans, who have a new spark of life since Ryan Tannehill replaced Marcus Mariota at quarterback. Tennessee has won two in a row with Tannehill starting.
