The San Francisco 49ers and Carolina Panthers will face off in a matchup with major NFC playoff implications for both teams, a game that could lean on different matchups to stay competitive. And historically, the Panthers hold a rare advantage over the 49ers. Here is a look at the history of this matchup.
Panthers Hold A Lead Against The 49ers, Including When Playing Away
The matchup between the Panthers and 49ers began in 1995, Carolina’s inaugural season, and was won by the Panthers on the 49ers’ home turf, setting the tone for how this rivalry would unfold. The Panthers are one of the few teams with a winning record on the road against San Francisco.
Their 7-4 record when visiting the 49ers is the best road winning percentage of any opponent in San Francisco, and they are one of only three teams with a positive mark in that category, alongside the Indianapolis Colts (12-11) and Seattle Seahawks (14-12).
The Panthers’ most recent win over the 49ers also came at Levi’s Stadium, in 2017, a 23-3 victory led by Cam Newton in Week 1. San Francisco went on to start that season 0-9, while Carolina finished 11-5 and reached the playoffs for the last time that year.
However, the last two meetings between these teams have been completely one-sided in favor of the 49ers. San Francisco cruised to a 51-13 win in 2019 and followed it up with a 37-15 victory in 2022, when Baker Mayfield was still Carolina’s quarterback and Christian McCaffrey played his second-to-last game for the franchise before being traded to the 49ers.
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That is the central storyline heading into this Monday night’s matchup. McCaffrey, the 9th-ranked running back in the PFSN RBi Meter with an 83.4 score, will face his former team for the first time. The 49ers are looking not only to strengthen their playoff position but also to showcase the full potential of an offense that is finally healthy.
The teams have met only once in the postseason, a matchup won by the 49ers in January 2014, during the 2013-2014 NFL season, by a score of 23-10 in the Divisional Round. While this rivalry has never been among the most intense, the matchup promises to be very physical and feature plenty of scoring.
