Christian McCaffrey bails out Brock Purdy in 49ers' primetime win over Panthers

All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey had to be plenty motivated going up against his former team when the San Francisco 49ers hosted the Carolina Panthers in a crucial primetime showdown on Monday Night Football.

Of course, that 2022 trade from Carolina to the Bay Area has paid off handsomely for the Niners. Yet McCaffrey and Co. knew fully well just how important a victory would be to stay relevant in the greater NFC postseason race.

So, why not lean on San Francisco's best offensive player? Especially when quarterback Brock Purdy was far too interception-prone for comfort.

Purdy relied heavily on McCaffrey through the air in what turned into the 20-9 win for the 49ers, who pulled off the win despite some ugly moments from the signal-caller. McCaffrey hauled in seven passes for 53 yards, but that only told part of the story for the likely 2025 Comeback Player of the Year. On top of his receiving prowess, McCaffrey offset Purdy's mistakes with 23 carries for 87 yards, too, averaging 3.6 yards per attempt.

Christian McCaffrey saved Brock Purdy's awful performance vs. Panthers

McCaffrey's third-quarter rushing touchdown helped erase a mid-game threat from Carolina, particularly in the wake of Purdy's shoddy performance to that point.

And considering the Panthers only scored three points off Purdy's picks, McCaffrey's efforts didn't go unnoticed.

As good as McCaffrey was, churning out 142 all-purpose yards after 30 touches to continue his league lead in the latter category, coordinator Robert Saleh's defense managed to contain the budding tandem of quarterback Bryce Young and rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan enough to hold Carolina to the nine points. Safety Ji'Ayir Brown's two interceptions helped ensure that.

So, in light of an off night for Purdy, a strong defense and excellent effort by McCaffrey paid off handsomely.

In doing so, the Niners improved to 8-4 and keep pace with the two NFC West rivals ahead of them in the standings, the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks.