49ers vs. Panthers: What Week 2 Loss Tells Us About San Francisco
By Peter Panacy
The San Francisco 49ers now sit at 1-1 after dropping their Week 2 contest 46-27 to the Carolina Panthers. What does this loss tell us about the Niners early in the 2016 season?
The San Francisco 49ers came crashing back down to earth after losing their Week 2 bout to the defending NFC champions, the Carolina Panthers, 46-27.
In fairness, the Niners had to travel east after playing on Monday Night Football and take on a Panthers squad that had an additional three days’ rest after debuting the 2016 season on September 8.
And sure, the heat and humidity of Charlotte didn’t help the non-acclimated 49ers either.
Still, Week 2 revealed more of what’s wrong with San Francisco than what’s going well. While the Niners’ 28-0 drubbing of the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1 was impressive, the actual reality of this team is probably closer to what was seen Sunday in Carolina.
This is how the 49ers match up against one of the NFL’s best. The Niners aren’t anywhere close to being able to beat a team like the Panthers under these circumstances.
It’s going to take a lot more effort.
Nonetheless, let’s take a detailed look at what was learned from San Francisco’s Week 2 effort. And this isn’t going to be a completely negative piece either. The Niners definitely have some positives on which they can build.
We’ll focus on those too.
Next: 49ers to Live & Die by the Running Game