49ers continue to roll; shut down Panthers
The San Francisco 49er defense could be the most dominant group in the NFL today, on either side of the ball. They dominated the Carolina Panthers, 19-10, on Sunday at 3-COM Park at Candlestick Sunday afternoon.
The Niners defense held the Panthers to just 222 total yards on the day, with 80 of it coming in their 3rd quarter touchdown drive. They forced the Panthers to turn the ball over and harassed Panther QB Kerry Collins all day long, even though, they didn’t record a sack.
On the season, the Niners defense is only giving up 11.5 points per game, which is best in the NFL. They yield just 69.3 yards on the ground and only 122.6 yards in the air. Offenses only average 191.9 yards per game against the Niners, which is a league best. They are also among the league leaders in sacks and forcing turnovers.
The Niners 9 game winning streak is also because they have changed the way they attack teams offensively. Instead of relying solely on the pass game, they have beefed up their running game and average 140 yards on the ground for the season. In Sunday’s game, Garrison Hearst rushed for 60 yards on 20 carries.
Without All-Pro Jerry Rice, the Niners passing attack has relied on youngsters Terrell Owens and JJ Stokes. QB Steve Young is still the top passer in the NFL and today against the Panthers he threw for 231 yards on 16 of 28 passing with a TD and no interceptions.
With this win, the Niners are now 9-2 on the season and will host the San Diego Chargers next week. In 2 weeks, San Francisco will have a huge showdown with the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. As for the Panthers, they are now 2-9 on a disappointing season and will travel next week to take on the St. Louis Rams.