Christian McCaffrey torches former team as 49ers beat Panthers on Monday Night Football

It wasn’t pretty, and it definitely wasn’t smooth, but the San Francisco 49ers got the win they needed on Monday Night Football - thanks almost entirely to the guy the Carolina Panthers once adored, Christian McCaffrey.

In a game littered with turnovers from both sides, the 29-year-old proved to be the difference-maker once again, piling up 142 all-purpose yards and a rushing touchdown on 31 touches.

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It’s not as though his former team didn’t know what was coming; they just couldn’t slow the Comeback Player of the Year contender down. Time and time again, No. 23 slipped free for chunk gains, helping San Francisco secure their first back-to-back win since Week 3 in September.

Brock Purdy - so dominant in his return to the lineup a week prior - endured a horrendous first half, throwing three interceptions as the 49ers’ offense stumbled out of the blocks.

But from there, he settled in, firing a strike to Jauan Jennings, who muscled his way into the end zone from 12 yards out late in the first quarter for the game’s opening score.

The 49ers’ defense did their part, too. Carolina quarterback Bryce Young, hoping to build off a career-best outing against the Falcons last week, was stymied from the start, with safety Ji’Ayir Brown picking him off twice.

And when McCaffrey weaved through blockers to score from 12 yards out and put San Francisco up 17-3 with 4:42 remaining in the third, the game looked out of reach for the Panthers.

Even when rookie receiver Tetairoa McMillan hauled in Young’s best throw of the night - a 29-yard touchdown with just over 15 minutes to play - the missed PAT made it feel like this was always going to be San Francisco’s night.

It won’t go down as a statement win for the 49ers, but it was an important one. The kind of victory playoff contenders stack in late November. And, once again, they had McCaffrey to credit for making it happen.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan issued a fiery post-game speech, crediting his players for the victory and warning them that the toughest stretch still lies ahead.