CHARLOTTE, NC – The 49ers turned to a balanced and efficient offensive attack after their best defensive player sat out Sunday’s Week 5 game against the Carolina Panthers.
The 49ers put together their best offensive showing of the season behind quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and a strong running game in the team’s 37-15 win over the lowly Panthers and head coach Matt Rhule.
Defensive end Nick Bosa, who entered the week leading the NFL with six sacks, suffered a groin injury in the third quarter. He was immediately ruled out, and his status for the next few games is in doubt.
The game didn’t start too well for the 49ers from an injury standpoint, as veteran safety Jimmie Ward injured his hand on the first defensive play of the game and did not return. Ward was making his season debut after missing time with a hamstring injury.
Garoppolo responded with his best game of the season. He completed 18 of 30 pass attempts for 253 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions.
The 49ers were especially strong on third downs. While building a 30-12 lead, the 49ers converted seven of their first 11 (64 percent) third down attempts.
The 49ers improved to 3-2 on the season, and here are the takeaways from their win against the Panthers:
The killer instinct of the defense
The 49ers defense did not allow a touchdown in the first half of any of their first five games.
However, the 49ers had not led by more than eight points in the first half of any game this season until Sunday’s game. And again, that was the defense that did it.
Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley picked off a botched pass from Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown near the end of the first half to give the 49ers a 17-3 lead.
It was the second time the 49ers defense scored with an interception in two games. Talanoa Hufanga ended the 49ers’ Week 4 win over the Los Angeles Rams with a pick-six against Matthew Stafford.
The 49ers have given up just 12 points, on four field goals, through the first half of their five games this season.
Coleman makes his mark in the backfield
Running back Tevin Coleman played a prominent role against the Panthers as a backup to starter Jeff Wilson.
Coleman filled in the game and carried the ball eight times for 23 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground with three receptions for 44 receiving yards and a touchdown through the air.
But his biggest mark was as a receiver.
Coleman appeared in 23 games for the 49ers in 2019 and ’20. During that time, he caught just 25 passes for 214 yards and one touchdown.
In the first half Sunday, Coleman came up with three receptions for 44 yards and a touchdown.
Coleman caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Garoppolo to cap the 49ers’ first offensive drive to take a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.
Later, Coleman made a big catch on Panthers safety Myles Hartfield for a 30-yard gain to set up a Robbie Gould field goal.
Wilson had a strong game for the 49ers as he continues in the starting role following Elijah Mitchell’s injury. Wilson carried 17 times for 120 yards and a touchdown.
Involve Kittle
The 49ers looked determined to put the ball in the hands of tight end George Kittle early in their Week 5 game against the Panthers.
Garoppolo’s first two pass attempts went to Kittle, who caught both passes for a total of 25 yards. In Kittle’s previous eight games, he averaged just 27.1 receiving yards per game.
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Kittle looked to be on his way to a big receiving game, as he caught his fourth pass of the first quarter. However, Carolina linebacker Damien Wilson stripped Kittle, forcing a fumble that Panthers defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos recovered to thwart a 49ers punt near midfield.
While Kittle showed early signs of breaking out of his pass-catching slump, the 49ers couldn’t get much going for wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
Samuel was the target of five of Garoppolo’s pass attempts in the first half, all of which fell incomplete. Garoppolo was 11-for-13 for 136 yards on passes intended for his other targets.
Samuel opened the second half with a 16-yard reception on a second-and-15 play. And he helped give the 49ers a 24-9 lead in the third quarter with a 4-yard touchdown reception from Garoppolo.
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