The 49ers (10-3) host the Carolina Panthers (10-3) at 3Com Park for a 1:00 PT kickoff in the second meeting of the year. The Panthers won the first meeting 23-7 in Charlotte. Steve Beuerlein is the starter; Kerry Collins is on the injury report. Tim Biakabutuka is the back; Wesley Walls is the tight end.
The 49ers come off the 34-10 road win at Atlanta. Steve Young is the starter; Kirby is the lead back. Brent Jones is at tight end.[1][2]
The Panthers visit 3Com Park at 10-3 with the head-to-head sweep over the 49ers in play. Kerry Collins is back at starter after the Beuerlein-led road win in Charlotte ended the 49ers' four-game rivalry winning streak. Carolina's offense has produced 24-plus points in three of the last four games. The 49ers' Sunday at 3Com is the NFC West showdown that decides the divisional title. Win and the 49ers clinch the division.
Week 15 has the NFC West showdown at 3Com plus a slate where the conference's playoff seeding is settling. The Cowboys sit at 10-3; the Packers 11-2; the Panthers 10-3. The AFC East has the Patriots at 10-4 and the Bills 8-5. Conference reading list the storyline is the Panthers' chase of the division title in their second year. The 49ers' Sunday at 3Com is the only NFC West game with playoff seeding implications.
Through thirteen games the 49ers sit at 10-3 with a plus 127 point differential. Young is on pace for 3,200 passing yards. Kirby averages 64 rushing yards per game. Bryant Young has 14 sacks. The Panthers are 10-3 with Collins averaging 240 passing per game and Biakabutuka 4.2 a carry. Vegas opens the 49ers as 4-point home favorites. Number to track today: the divisional tiebreaker.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 9-4 | L1 |
| Houston Oilers | 7-6 | W1 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 6-7 | W2 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 5-8 | L1 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 4-9 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 9-4 | L1 |
| New England Patriots | 9-4 | W2 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 7-6 | W1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 6-7 | L2 |
| New York Jets | 1-12 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 12-1 | W9 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 9-4 | W1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 7-6 | L1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 6-7 | W2 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 5-8 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 10-3 | W3 |
| Carolina Panthers | 9-4 | W4 |
| St. Louis Rams | 4-9 | W1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 2-11 | L2 |
| New Orleans Saints | 2-11 | L6 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 10-3 | W2 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 7-6 | W1 |
| Chicago Bears | 5-8 | L1 |
| Detroit Lions | 5-8 | L2 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 4-9 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 8-5 | W1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 8-5 | W1 |
| Washington Redskins | 8-5 | L2 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 6-7 | -- |
| New York Giants | 5-8 | L1 |
Kerry Collins threw for 327 yards and three touchdowns, Willie Green caught 7 for 157 with a touchdown and the Carolina Panthers beat the 49ers 30-24 at 3Com Park. Steve Young threw for 393 yards and three touchdowns. Jerry Rice caught 10 for 129 with a touchdown. Terrell Owens caught 5 for 110 with a touchdown. The Panthers led 17-10 at halftime. Carolina won the NFC West title on the head-to-head sweep.[1][2]
Kerry Collins threw three touchdowns at 3Com Park and the Panthers beat the 49ers 30-24 to clinch the NFC West title in their second NFL year. Steve Young threw for 393 yards and three scores. Jerry Rice caught 10 for 129 with a touchdown. Terrell Owens caught 5 for 110 with a touchdown.
The 49ers' offense produced 24 points on three Young touchdowns. The Panthers' offense produced 30 on three Collins touchdowns. The defensive front produced two sacks. The secondary surrendered the Willie Green 157-yard line and the Mark Carrier 83-yard line. The Sunday at 3Com decided the divisional title.
The 49ers walk away 10-4 with the road trip to Pittsburgh on Sunday next. The home record drops to 5-2. The wire copy is going to spend the column on the divisional title. The film room is going to spend the week on the secondary's coverage on Green.
Panthers 30, 49ers 24. Margin: minus 6. Record: 10-4.
A 30-24 home loss to the Panthers. The 49ers fall to 10-4 and Carolina clinches the NFC West title on the head-to-head sweep.
How it unfolded
The Panthers opened with a Collins touchdown to Willie Green. Young answered with an Owens touchdown to tie at 7. Carolina added a touchdown to make it 14-7. A Wade Richey field goal cut it to 14-10. A Panthers field goal made it 17-10 at the half. The third quarter saw a Collins touchdown to make it 24-10. Young's touchdown to Rice cut it to 24-17. A second Panthers touchdown made it 30-17. Young added a touchdown to Brent Jones to cut it to 30-24. The 49ers' closing drive ended on downs at the Carolina 31.
The turning point
The third-quarter Panthers touchdown drive. With the 49ers down 17-10 and the defense facing third-and-eight at midfield, Collins found Green on a 41-yard reception. Carolina drove for the touchdown that pushed the lead to 24-10 and the 49ers' offense never closed the gap.
By the numbers
Young 27-of-41 for 393 with three touchdowns and two picks; the highest single-game passing line of his recent calendar. Rice 10 catches for 129 with the score. Owens 5 catches for 110 with the touchdown; the rookie's first 100-yard receiving day. Collins 327 with three touchdowns. Green 7 catches for 157 with a score.
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Steve Young #8 | 27/41 | 393 | 3 | 2 | |
| CAR | |||||
| Kerry Collins | 22/37 | 327 | 3 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Steve Young #8 | 5 | 63 | 0 | 33 |
| Terry Kirby | 6 | 10 | 0 | 9 |
| William Floyd | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| CAR | ||||
| Anthony Johnson | 25 | 52 | 0 | 12 |
| Kerry Collins | 5 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Howard Griffith | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Rocket Ismail | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Jerry Rice #80 | 10 | 129 | 1 | 37 |
| Terrell Owens | 5 | 110 | 1 | 46 |
| Terry Kirby | 5 | 80 | 0 | 52 |
| Brent Jones #84 | 6 | 68 | 1 | 26 |
| Ted Popson | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| CAR | ||||
| Willie Green | 7 | 157 | 1 | 50 |
| Mark Carrier | 4 | 83 | 0 | 39 |
| Rocket Ismail | 2 | 40 | 0 | 32 |
| Wesley Walls | 5 | 35 | 2 | 15 |
| Winslow Oliver | 2 | 9 | 0 | 6 |
| Howard Griffith | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Anthony Johnson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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