49ers vs. Panthers: Can Bryce Young put together another big game or will Brock Purdy shine on 'MNF'?

The San Francisco 49ers host the Carolina Panthers In the Week 12 edition of "Monday Night Football'' with San Francisco coming off a blowout victory over the division rival Arizona Cardinals, having improved to 7-4 with the win. The Niners have alternated wins and losses every week since starting 3-0, and they'll be looking to break that streak and keep pace in the division race with a victory over Carolina here.

Carolina secured an overtime win over the division rival Atlanta Falcons last week to improve to 6-5. After the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost on Sunday night, the Panthers now have a chance to take over sole possession of first place in the NFC South, which they can capture with a win on Monday.

Which of these two teams will make it back-to-back victories? We'll find out soon enough. But before we break down the matchup, here's a look at how you can watch the game.

Where to watch 49ers vs. Panthers live

• Date: Monday, Nov. 14 | Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
• Location: Levi's Stadium (Santa Clara, California)
• TV: ESPN/ABC | Stream: Fubo (Try for free) 
• Follow: CBS Sports App
• Odds: 49ers -7.5, O/U 49.5 via DraftKings Sportsbook

When the Panthers have the ball

Carolina is coming off an unusual offensive game wherein it did not run the ball particularly well but absolutely exploded in the passing game. The Panthers ran for just 67 yards last week against the Falcons, but Bryce Young went an incredible 31 of 45 for 448 yards and three touchdowns. 

The 49ers, meanwhile, played a very similar game against the Arizona offense to the one Carolina played against Atlanta's defense: San Francisco held the Cardinals to just 36 yards rushing (on 14 carries) but allowed 452 passing yards as Jacoby Brissett set the NFL record for completions in a game. 

So, the question here is whether we are treated to a repeat performance on either end of the field. It's worth noting that the Falcons game alone accounts for 22.8% of Young's passing yards for the season -- and he's played in 10 of the team's 11 games. The Panthers want the run game to be the center of their attack, and they're probably not going to go overly pass-heavy unless they're forced into it. 

The San Francisco defense is banged up all over the place, with Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, Mykel Williams and Yetur Gross-Matos all on injured reserve and even guys like Tatum Bethune and Robert Beal Jr. either doubtful (Beal) or out (Bethune). Even Luke Gifford, who could be asked to fill in for Bethune at linebacker, is listed as questionable. And they'll be counting on guys like Keion White, Sam Okuayinonu and Clelin Ferrell on the edge alongside Bryce Huff.

The Niners have been slightly better against the run (22nd in success rate) than they have been against the pass (26th), but they haven't been particularly good against either. Obviously, a lot of that is owed to their various injuries; but those guys won't be back for this game. The Panthers should be able to find some success running the ball downhill with Rico Dowdle, and take the pressure off Young to carry the offense. 

If and when Young does drop back, it would be surprising if Deommodore Lenoir follows Tetairoa McMillan around the field. Lenoir has lined up at left cornerback on all 624 snaps that he's played on the perimeter, according to Pro Football Focus, so the Panthers can generate a better matchup by having T-Mac line up across from Renardo Green if they want. Green's no slouch, but Lenoir is the team's best corner. Young's other weapons aren't much to write home about.

When the 49ers have the ball

Brock Purdy returned last week for San Francisco and immediately showed why there was never any controversy about who was going to be the team's starting quarterback, despite Mac Jones having had some success when under center in his place. 

Purdy went 19 of 26 for 200 yards and three touchdowns, beautifully layering the ball all over the field and spreading it around to the likes of Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and Jauan Jennings. McCaffrey even had one of his more successful games of the season on the ground, rushing 13 times for 81 yards and two touchdowns, and you could see how much more open space he had to run with a greater threat of the downfield passing attack available to San Francisco.

The Niners are still going to build the plane around a lot of touches for CMC, who is averaging 24.3 rushes plus receptions per game so far this year. There will be a ton of pressure on Carolina's linebackers and safeties to deal with him in space, and honestly, there just aren't many players at those positions who are equipped to do so -- especially when the players at those same positions also have to worry about getting beaten by Kittle over the middle or up the seam. 

It doesn't help that Carolina will be without both Trevin Wallace and Christian Rozeboom, robbing the Panthers of both of their starting inside linebackers. Guys like Claudin Cherelus, Maema Njongmeta and possibly Bam Martin-Scott will have to play bigger roles, while there will be even more pressure on the likes of Trevon Moehrig Nick Scott and potential slot corner Corey Thornton to deal with those two demons as well.

It'll be interesting to see if the Panthers use Jaycee Horn to shadow a receiver, and if so, whether it's Jennings or Ricky Pearsall, who looked like the top perimeter option earlier in the year before getting injured and missing extended time. The Niners don't have a true No. 1 wideout, so there's not necessarily an obvious man to Horn to follow. If he does travel, I'd bet on it being with Jennings, who aligns on the line of scrimmage more often than does Pearsall, who goes into motion more often.

The Panthers' best bet here is to plug up the run game and turn the 49ers into a one-dimensional passing offense and then generate considerably pressure on Purdy. That's easier said than done, obviously, and even if you can do it, you still have to worry about all the various weapons the Niners can throw at you through the air. 

Prediction

The Niners looked great in Brock Purdy's return to the field last week, and that was against a better defense than the one they'll face on Monday night. I know the Panthers finally figured out a way to throw the ball all over the yard themselves last week, but that's still an aberration when it comes to their season-long performance. If San Francisco can hold Rico Dowdle in check, I think the Niners should roll.

Prediction: 49ers 27, Panthers 16