Led by Bryce Young, the Panthers have exceeded expectations to this point in the season/ Following Sunday night’s Bics’ loss, Carolina is now tied for first in the NFC South. They also are a single game behind San Francisco for the final Wild Card spot in the playoffs.

CMC faces his old team for the first time. Here's your "Monday Night Football" warmup ahead of tonight's Panthers-Niners game.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy's return should terrify the rest of the NFC, as he unlocks a different level for their offense.

Since the trade on October 20, 2022, the Carolina Panthers have gone 19-37, the sixth-worst record in the NFL. On the other side, the 49ers have gone 35-21, sixth-best record in the NFL, including 4-2 in the playoffs and a Super Bowl appearance.

DraftKings has them at -750 and FanDuel has them at -590. The implied odds on that are 88% and 85% respectively. NFL.com has a playoff projection system that gives them an 86% chance of making it, while ESPN FPI has them at 90%. Lastly, FTN, the home of DVOA, has them at 86% and the Athletic has matched that in their projections as well.

First of all, pay attention to the numbers from the NFC South. Basically, there’s about a 3 to 5 percent chance that the NFC South gets a second spot in the playoffs. Otherwise, the Buccaneers and Panthers,

The Los Angeles Rams took control of the NFC with their second straight commanding win over a playoff contender.

The guarantees in Brandon Aiyuk's contract with the 49ers have been eliminated, as reported by head coach Kyle Shanahan, who reacted to the unusual situation the wide receiver face

San Francisco is currently 7-4 with roughly an 85% chance of making the playoffs. They are big favorites over the Carolina Panthers, and a win against them this week would greatly improve their chances. So, it is hard to say that the 49ers are not contenders .