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Week 13 Game Recap: San Francisco 49ers 14, Carolina Panthers 31
What you need to know
| San Francisco 49ers |
After playing well the previous week, San Francisco looked terrible against a Carolina team that had been playing pretty poorly. San Francisco gained just 195 total yards and committed six turnovers. Four of those turnovers were Trent Dilfer interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Dilfer also fumbled twice but recovered the ball both times. He ended up 14 of 29 for 171 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Frank Gore carried the ball 12 times for 58 yards. He also caught five passes for 53 yards but he never got the chance to get into the end zone. San Francisco only ran one play from inside the Carolina red zone.
Their two touchdowns were scored from 20 yards out on a pass to Battle and from 21 yards on a Delanie Walker catch. After Gore's five catches, Battle had four catches for 51 yards but also fumbled on a running play. Walker had the one catch for a touchdown. Vernon Davis, Darrell Jackson and Ashley Lelie each had one catch.
The San Francisco defense was on the field for quite a while in this game. Carolina held the ball for over 38 minutes. The 49ers just couldn't stop the Carolina running game. They gave up 166 yards on the ground including a one yard touchdown run by DeShaun Foster. They did intercept Testaverde twice but also gave up two short touchdown passes.
| Carolina Panthers |
Carolina opened the playbook for this game and was finally able to get a home win. They had lost seven straight home games dating back to last season. Carolina tried a reverse and even lined up Steve Smith at quarterback with Testaverde outside to the left in the receiver spot. Testaverde benefitted from a dominant defense and managed the game well enough to win. He completed 17 of 26 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns. He did throw two interceptions but San Francisco was only able to get points off of one of them.
The Carolina running game rushed for 166 yards and a touchdown. Foster gained 58 yards and the score. Williams added 82 yards, most of which was in the fourth quarter when Carolina had worn down the San Francisco defense. The running game was a big factor in Carolina's big time of possession differential. They held the ball for almost 17 minutes more than the 49ers.
Dante Rosario and Jeff King each had a short touchdown reception but it was Steve Smith who Carolina turned to in the passing game. The Panthers hit Smith on receiver screens, had him lateral the ball and also lined him up at quarterback. Overall Smith caught eight passes for 64 yards and also had two carries for 21 yards.
The Carolina defense was the story of the game though. They dominated from start to finish. They allowed just 195 total yards, had six turnovers and six sacks. Richard Marshall had a 67 yard interception return in the second quarter. They held the 49ers to just three of 11 on third down conversions and allowed just 12 first downs.
What you ought to know
| QB Trent Dilfer, Pass: 14 - 29 - 171 - 2 TD / 4 INT, Rush: 3 - -1 - 0 |
Trent Dilfer played a terrible game throwing four interceptions. His final numbers were 14 of 29 for 171 yards and two touchdowns. Dilfer threw two first half interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, he threw two more interceptions. Neither second half interception led to a Carolina score but it killed any momentum San Francisco had built from Dilfer's two third quarter touchdown passes.
| RB Frank Gore, Rush: 12 - 58 - 0, Rec: 5 - 53 - 0 (5 targets) |
Frank Gore carried the ball 12 times for 58 yards. He also added five catches for 53 yards. Gore had a good yards per carry average but being behind all game didn't give him the chance to put up big numbers. Technically San Francisco only ran one play from the Carolina red zone. Dilfer was sacked back to the 20 yard line. Gore never really had a chance to score in the game.
| RB Maurice Hicks, Rush: 1 - 5 - 0, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (1 targets) |
Maurice Hicks was used mostly on kickoffs. He had one carry for five yards and he caught one pass for seven yards. He also had a ten yard reception wiped out by a penalty.
| WR Arnaz Battle, Rush: 1 - -3 - 0, Rec: 4 - 51 - 1 (7 targets) |
Arnaz Battle caught four passes for 51 yards and a touchdown. In the first quarter, Battle ran the ball but when he spun to try to break a tackle in the backfield he fumbled. Carolina drove down and picked up a field goal off of the turnover. Battle finally got San Francisco on the board in the third quarter. He caught a pass down the middle and was wide open because the Carolina defender fell down. Battle had an 18 yard reception called back due to a penalty on San Francisco.
| WR Darrell Jackson, Rec: 1 - 12 - 0 (7 targets) |
Jackson was thrown to seven times but only caught one pass for 12 yards. Jackson was the intended receiver when Dilfer was intercepted and the ball was returned for the touchdown. The turnover was not Jackson's fault since the pass was just thrown too low.
| WR Ashley Lelie, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (2 targets) |
Ashley Lelie caught one pass for eight yards. He didn't see action until the fourth quarter. He caught the first pass thrown to him at the San Francisco 44 yard line. Two plays later, Dilfer tried to hit him again but the pass was underthrown and it was intercepted at the 12 yard line.
| TE Vernon Davis, Rec: 1 - 19 - 0 (4 targets) |
Vernon Davis had one catch for 19 yards. His catch took the ball down to the Carolina 18 yard line. The 49ers would score their first touchdown three plays later. Dilfer's fourth interception was on a pass intended for Vernon Davis.
| TE Delanie Walker, Rec: 1 - 21 - 1 (2 targets) |
Walker was targeted twice in the game. He caught one pass for a 21 yard touchdown. The score put San Francisco within three points early in the second half.
| PK Joe Nedney 0 - 0 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 2 points |
Nedney had no field goal tries but did make both of his extra point attempts.
| SF Rush Defense |
The San Francisco rush defense was blown up for 166 yards. DeAngelo Williams and DeShaun Foster ran for 140 of those yards and also scored a goal line touchdown against the 49ers defense. The defense was on the field quite a bit due to all of the turnovers by San Francisco's offense. They were clearly worn down as Carolina picked up 63 rushing yards in the fourth quarter.
| SF Pass Defense |
The San Francisco pass defense only allowed 153 yards to Testaverde. They did give up two touchdown passes, both of which were from inside the ten yard line. They were able to sack Testaverde twice plus they intercepted him two times. With Carolina driving late in the second quarter, Nate Clements made an interception to end the scoring threat and keep San Francisco down 17 points. On Carolina's drive to open the second half, they intercepted Testaverde again. This time, San Francisco drove the short field and scored their first touchdown to get them back in the game.
| QB Vinny Testaverde, Pass: 17 - 26 - 169 - 2 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 2 - -2 - 0 |
Vinny Testaverde got the start in this game. With the Carolina defense playing great, he did just enough to win the game. Testaverde threw for 153 yards on 17 of 26 attempts. He threw two short touchdowns but was also picked off twice. Testaverde found Dante Rosario for a five yard touchdown and Jeff King for a one yard touchdown. He even lined up at wide receiver near the goal line with Steve Smith at the quarterback position. Smith ran the ball to the right with Vinny lined up on the left side. To his credit, he did try to block Nate Clements on the play.
| QB David Carr |
Carr was inactive for this game.
| QB Matt Moore |
Moore was listed as the number two quarterback but did not see any action.
| RB DeShaun Foster, Rush: 21 - 58 - 1, Rec: 3 - 35 - 0 (4 targets) |
DeShaun Foster carried 21 times for 58 yards and one touchdown. He also had three catches for 35 yards. Foster carried the ball twice from inside the five yard line but couldn't punch it in and Carolina settled for a field goal. On Carolina's next drive, Foster carried the ball to the 49ers' five yard line. Testaverde hit Rosario on the next play for the touchdown. When Carolina recovered a muffed punt at the San Francisco 11 yard line, Foster was used exclusively and scored a touchdown four plays later.
| RB DeAngelo Williams, Rush: 17 - 82 - 0, Rec: 1 - 46 - 0 (2 targets) |
DeAngelo Williams carried the ball 17 times for 82 yards. He caught one pass for 30 yards. Williams also received a lateral from Steve Smith behind the line of scrimmage that he was able to take down to the San Francisco 14 yard line for 22 yards. In the first quarter, Williams ran the ball for six yards down to the 49ers eight yard line. In the fourth, Williams got three straight carries from the 15 yard line. On the third play he was stuffed at the one yard line. Testaverde hit Jeff King for the score on the next play. Williams had 11 carries in the fourth quarter when the Panthers were looking to burn up clock time.
| RB Brad Hoover, Rush: 2 - 7 - 0 |
Hoover had two carries right at the end of the third quarter. He picked up seven yards just across midfield.
| WR Steve Smith, Rush: 2 - 21 - 0, Rec: 8 - 64 - 0 (11 targets) |
Smith was heavily involved in the game. He was targeted 11 times by Testaverde, of which he caught eight passes for 64 yards. Testaverde threw a few receiver screens to Smith and they also tried using Smith lined up at the quarterback position. Each time Smith ran the ball out of that set. He gained 21 yards on two carries. Early in the game, Nate Clements crushed Smith on a late hit after a dropped pass. Clements was hit with a penalty and for the rest of the game the two of them were seen jawing at one another. Smith ran the ball from the San Francisco eight yard line but was pushed out at the three yard line. On Carolina's first touchdown drive, Smith made a very nice over the shoulder catch for 29 yards right by the sideline. Smith did not have any end zone targets in the game. His best chance to score was on the run from the quarterback position when Carolina was inside the San Francisco ten yard line.
| WR Drew Carter, Rec: 2 - 15 - 0 (3 targets) |
Drew Carter caught two balls for 15 yards. Carter's second catch came on a third down play and picked up a first down at the San Francisco 28 yard line. Carolina would continue the drive and score a touchdown to go up by 17 points. The one target Carter didn't catch was on a deep pass that Testaverde under threw and was picked off by Clements at the two yard line.
| WR Keary Colbert (2 targets) |
Colbert was thrown to twice but neither pass found the intended target. The first pass was incomplete and the second was intercepted by the 49ers.
| TE Jeff King, Rec: 2 - 4 - 1 (4 targets) |
King was targeted four times including twice in the end zone. He caught two passes for four yards including a one yard touchdown. The other pass in the end zone was incomplete. In the second quarter Testaverde hit King at the San Francisco nine yard line but he was only able to pick up three yards.
| TE Dante Rosario, Rec: 1 - 5 - 1 (1 targets) |
Rosario made the most of his one target. He caught the pass for a five yard touchdown on a third and three play.
| PK John Kasay 1 - 1 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 7 points |
Kasay made a 19 yard field goal to open the scoring in the game. He made all four of the extra point attempts.
| CAR Rush Defense |
The Carolina defense was dominant in this game. The Carolina rush defense was able to get pressure and disrupt the 49ers offensive attack, if you can call it that. Carolina played well allowing only 59 net rushing yards on 17 carries. The defense forced a fumble on an Arnaz Battle rushing attempt. The Panthers only allowed three first downs via the run.
| CAR Pass Defense |
While the rush defense was good, the Carolina pass defense was excellent. Compared to previous games, they were like a different team out there. They got a ton of pressure on Dilfer, they intercepted him four times and they caused two fumbles. The pass defense recorded six sacks in the game on Dilfer. In the 11 games prior this season, the Carolina defense had only 10 sacks total. Richard Marshall had a 67 yard interception return for a touchdown that put Carolina up 17-0. While the pass defense did give up two touchdowns, both times the 49ers had a short field due to a Carolina turnover and a long punt return by Nate Clements.
