What was supposed to be a close contest between NFC contenders turned out to be a lopsided blowout.
The San Francisco 49ers absolutely dismantled the Carolina Panthers by a score of 51-13. With the loss, the Panthers saw their four-game win streak come to an end. Here’s our winners and losers from a brutal game.
Loser: QB Kyle Allen
Quarterback Kyle Allen had been doing a magnificent job in the absence of Cam Newton this season. With his steady hand, he led the Panthers to four straight wins and had zero interceptions on the year coming into this matchup. Allen came crashing back down to earth today, though.
Not only was Allen inaccurate – completing just 19 of 37 passes – but he also threw three interceptions as well and ran into a few sacks. It was just a horrible performance all around for Allen.
Loser: WR Curtis Samuel
This was a nightmare of a game for third-year wide receiver Curtis Samuel. Allen targeted Samuel a lot but he just couldn’t make an impact. He only caught four of the 11 balls thrown his way. Samuel will certainly be looking to put this game behind him quickly.
Loser: The entire Panthers defense
With one notable exception, Carolina’s defense was a total catastrophe today. They allowed the 49ers to run all over them and they were unable to contain Jimmy Garoppolo and the passing attack, as well. They gave up 388 total yards of offense and allowed San Francisco to average 6.2 yards per play.
Winner: LB Bruce Irvin
Only one defender was good enough to make the winners category this week. Outside linebacker Bruce Irvin did everything in his power to make this a close contest. He posted five tackles, three for loss, two sacks and a safety. You can pin this loss on practically anybody but him.
