The 49ers (3-1) travel to Ericsson Stadium for a 1:00 ET kickoff against the Carolina Panthers (0-4). George Seifert's former 49ers staff is gone; Dom Capers is in his third year as head coach. Kerry Collins is the quarterback. Anthony Johnson is the back. Mark Carrier and Rae Carruth are the receivers.
The 49ers come off the 34-7 home win over Atlanta. Steve Young is the starter; Brent Jones is at tight end. Garrison Hearst is the lead back.[1][2]
Dom Capers' Panthers opened 1997 0-4 with three single-digit losses and one blowout. Kerry Collins, the third-year starter, has thrown five interceptions across the first four games. Anthony Johnson is the back; Wesley Walls is the tight end.
The 49ers' Sunday at Ericsson Stadium is the kind of road game where the offensive line has the matchup that defines the back-half schedule. The Panthers' defensive front, with Lamar Lathon and Sean Gilbert, has produced 12 sacks across the first four games.
Week 5 has the schedule's only matchup of an undefeated team against an unbeaten team plus a slate where the divisional races continue to clarify. The Packers sit at 4-0; the Cowboys 2-2; the Vikings 4-0. The AFC East has the Patriots at 4-0 and the Bills 2-2. Around the league the storyline is the Packers' continued dominance. In the conference standings, this week: the Panthers, the franchise the 49ers' staff has played twice a year for three years, now at the conference's bottom.
Through four games the 49ers sit at 3-1 with a plus 46 point differential. Young is on pace for 4,300 passing yards. Hearst is on pace for 1,180 rushing. Owens has 7 catches for 146 across the first four. The Panthers are 0-4 with Collins throwing 5 interceptions across the start. Vegas opens the 49ers as 4-point road favorites. Watching today: Hearst's chase of a 100-yard rushing game, sitting at 92 in his best of the start.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 3-0 | W3 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 3-1 | W3 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 1-2 | L2 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1-2 | L1 |
| Tennessee Oilers | 1-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots | 4-0 | W4 |
| Buffalo Bills | 2-2 | W1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 2-2 | L2 |
| New York Jets | 2-2 | W1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 0-4 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 4-0 | W4 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 3-1 | W3 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 2-2 | W2 |
| Oakland Raiders | 1-3 | L1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 1-3 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 3-1 | W3 |
| Carolina Panthers | 2-2 | L1 |
| St. Louis Rams | 2-2 | W1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 1-3 | W1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 0-4 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 4-0 | W4 |
| Green Bay Packers | 3-1 | W2 |
| Detroit Lions | 2-2 | L1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 2-2 | L2 |
| Chicago Bears | 0-4 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 2-1 | W1 |
| Washington Redskins | 2-1 | W1 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 1-2 | -- |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 1-2 | L1 |
| New York Giants | 1-3 | L3 |
1997 49ers at Panthers MNF Week 5
49ers vs Panthers 1997 SF 27- CAR 19 #49ersfan #49ersfaithful #carolinapanthers 14
49ers vs Panthers 1997 SF 27- CAR 19 #49ersfan #49ersfaithful #carolinapanthers 11
49ers vs Panthers 1997 SF 27- CAR 19 #49ersfan #49ersfaithful #carolinapanthers 4
49ers vs Panthers 1997 SF 27- CAR 19 #49ersfan #49ersfaithful #carolinapanthers 13
49ers vs Panthers 1997 SF 27- CAR 19 #49ersfan #49ersfaithful #carolinapanthers 7
49ers vs Panthers 1997 SF 27- CAR 19 #49ersfan #49ersfaithful #carolinapanthers 6
49ers vs Panthers 1997 #49ersfan #49ersfaithful #carolinapanthers
49ers vs Panthers 1997 SF 27- CAR 19 #49ersfan #49ersfaithful #carolinapanthers 12
49ers vs Panthers 1997 SF 27- CAR 19 #49ersfan #49ersfaithful #carolinapanthers 2Garrison Hearst ran for 141 yards on 28 carries with a touchdown, Steve Young threw for 152 yards and a touchdown and the 49ers beat the Carolina Panthers 34-21 at Ericsson Stadium. Terry Kirby added 41 rushing and a touchdown. The 49ers' defense produced three sacks of Kerry Collins. Mark Carrier caught 6 for 77 with a touchdown. The 49ers led 27-7 at halftime.[1][2]
Garrison Hearst ran for one hundred and forty-one yards on twenty-eight carries and the 49ers won 34-21 at Ericsson Stadium. The first 100-yard rushing day of the year. The lead back's workhorse afternoon came on a Sunday where Young threw for 152 and Owens caught five for 48 with a touchdown.
The 49ers led 27-7 at halftime. The Panthers cut it to 27-14 in the third quarter on a Carrier touchdown reception. Kirby ran in a 14-yard score to make it 34-14. The Panthers added a closing touchdown to make the final 34-21. The defensive front produced three sacks of Kerry Collins, the second straight road game with a multi-sack afternoon.
The 49ers walk back to the airport 4-1 with the home bye week, and the second meeting with the Rams on Sunday after that. The wire copy is going to spend the column on Hearst's chase. The film room is going to spend the bye on the front rotation's continued sack production.
49ers 34, Panthers 21. Margin: plus 13. Record: 4-1.
A 34-21 road win at Ericsson Stadium. The 49ers improve to 4-1.
How it unfolded
Young opened with a touchdown drive ending in an Owens 14-yard score. Hearst's rushing touchdown made it 14-0. The second quarter produced two more 49ers scores: a Wade Richey field goal and a Young touchdown drive ending in a Hearst short rush to push the lead to 24-0. A Panthers touchdown made it 24-7. Richey added a field goal to make it 27-7 at the half. The third quarter saw a Carrier touchdown to cut it to 27-14. Kirby ran in a 14-yard touchdown to push it to 34-14. A closing Panthers touchdown made the final 34-21.
The turning point
The second-quarter Hearst rushing touchdown. With the 49ers up 14-0 and the offense facing third-and-one at the Panthers' 1, the staff called the goal-line dive. Hearst converted. The 24-0 cushion put the visitors in script-the-clock posture from the second quarter forward.
By the numbers
Hearst 141 on 28 carries (5.0 ypc) with a touchdown; his first 100-yard rushing day of 1997. Young 16-of-24 for 152 with one touchdown. Owens 5 catches for 48 with a score. Stokes 4 for 53. Kirby 41 rushing on 8 carries with a touchdown. Defensively the front produced three sacks of Collins; the secondary forced one interception.
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Steve Young #8 | 16/24 | 152 | 1 | 0 | |
| CAR | |||||
| Kerry Collins | 11/24 | 126 | 1 | 3 | |
| Steve Beuerlein | 9/11 | 94 | 2 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Garrison Hearst | 28 | 141 | 1 | 14 |
| Terry Kirby | 8 | 41 | 1 | 11 |
| William Floyd | 7 | 21 | 0 | 7 |
| Steve Young #8 | 6 | 16 | 1 | 9 |
| CAR | ||||
| Anthony Johnson | 8 | 21 | 0 | 7 |
| Kerry Collins | 4 | 10 | 0 | 5 |
| Tim Biakabutuka | 4 | 8 | 0 | 5 |
| Steve Beuerlein | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| J.J. Stokes | 4 | 53 | 0 | 23 |
| Terrell Owens | 5 | 48 | 1 | 14 |
| Brent Jones #84 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| Garrison Hearst | 3 | 13 | 0 | 11 |
| Iheanyi Uwaezuoke | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| William Floyd | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Terry Kirby | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CAR | ||||
| Mark Carrier | 6 | 77 | 1 | 20 |
| Rae Carruth | 4 | 74 | 1 | 24 |
| Winslow Oliver | 3 | 25 | 0 | 11 |
| Wesley Walls | 2 | 24 | 0 | 19 |
| Rocket Ismail | 4 | 19 | 1 | 8 |
| Scott Greene | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
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