The San Francisco 49ers played against the Carolina Panthers yesterday and won 20-9 in a low-scoring game. The 49ers’ offense, led by QB Brock Purdy, struggled with turnovers early on. However, he struggled and threw three interceptions in the first half alone. This prompted the FOX NFL broadcaster to discuss whether the 49ers would make it into the NFC playoffs or not. While Terry Bradshaw believes the team is good enough to make it into the playoffs, Michael Strahan disagrees.

“When you got an offense that explosive in both of them, I don’t bet, I don’t,” said Strahan on FOX’s Postseason Blueprints segment on November 23.

Running back Christian McCaffrey was the key offensive force. He had a big night with 142 total yards (rushing and receiving) and scored a touchdown against his former team. The 49ers leaned heavily on the run game and short passes in the second half. Despite the offense giving the ball away three times, the 49ers‘ defense was excellent, holding the Panthers to only three points off those turnovers. Safety Ji’Ayir Brown had two interceptions of his own, including one in the end zone to prevent a Carolina score.

In short, the 49ers got an ugly win thanks to a dominant defense and a huge performance by Christian McCaffrey, despite their quarterback throwing multiple interceptions. Michael Strahan highlighted the Sunday game, saying,

“They switch the roles. Role reversed, because they were really a defensive league in a minded team. Now, offense needs to carry them. Completely different team.”

The Credit for Sunday’s win completely goes to the 49ers’ defense, who were the sole reason the team managed a messy but important victory, proving that “a win is a win” as they move closer to the playoffs. They absolutely shut down the Carolina offense, holding them to only 230 total yards and preventing them from scoring a single touchdown on two crucial trips into the red zone.

Furthermore, the defense was stellar on third downs, allowing the Panthers to convert only one out of seven attempts, highlighting their ability to consistently get the ball back for the struggling offense.

Are the 49ers a legitimate contender to move to the playoffs?

The San Francisco 49ers’ win over the Panthers was sloppy, yet important. This victory brings their season record to 8 wins and 4 losses (8-4). This puts them in the last guaranteed playoff spot for now and keeps them close to the current NFC West leader, the Los Angeles Rams (9-2).

The NFL FOX broadcaster panel also shed light on how likely they are to make it to the playoffs. “As long as they’re key guys, the head coach and their key guys on offense, they can carry a team maybe into the playoffs,” said Howie Long. But speaking of anything beyond that would be difficult, as Rob Gronkowski said.

“No. The Rams are in the division. The Seattle…they’re not making. They’re too decimated on defense.”

To have a real chance at winning their division, the 49ers must take advantage of their upcoming easy games. And it’s not an impossible task to achieve. Looking at their past performance, they have a good opportunity to build momentum and catch up to the Rams. Their next two opponents are the weak Cleveland Browns (3-8) and the Tennessee Titans (1-10), separated by their time off (bye week). The 49ers absolutely need to win both of those games to improve their record to 10-4 before the hardest part of their schedule begins.

The end of the season will likely be difficult, as they face three tough teams that currently have an impressive 8-3 record. The Indianapolis Colts, followed by the Chicago Bears, and, most importantly, the Seattle Seahawks in the very last game. 

To win the division, the 49ers need to win these next easy games and hope the Rams lose a couple. By winning now, San Francisco will be in the perfect spot to take the division lead if the Rams slip up. This current run of favorable games is their best chance to secure a playoff spot and overtake the Rams for the NFC West title.