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Nick Wagoner
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Nick Wagoner
ESPN Staff Writer
- Nick Wagoner is an NFL reporter at ESPN. Nick has covered the San Francisco 49ers since 2016, having previously covered the St. Louis Rams for 12 years, including three years (2013 to 2015) at ESPN. In over a decade with the company, Nick has led ESPN’s coverage of the Niners’ 2019 and 2023 Super Bowl run, Colin Kaepernick’s protest, the Rams making Michael Sam the first openly gay player drafted to the NFL, Sam’s subsequent pursuit of a roster spot and the team’s relocation and stadium saga.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — While the bruised and battered San Francisco 49ers haven’t won in aesthetically pleasing fashion often this season, they still have found ways to win.
It happened again Monday night, as the Niners overcame a litany of first-half mistakes to knock off the Carolina Panthers 20-9 in a game that figures to be pivotal in the NFC playoff chase.
With the win, the 49ers improve to 8-4, including 7-2 against NFC opponents. Carolina fell to 6-6 on the season and 4-3 in NFC games.
According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, the Niners bolstered their playoff hopes from 86% to 91.3% and put the Panthers’ chances in peril, as they dropped from 22.7% to 18%.
Even on a night when quarterback Brock Purdy provided plenty of opportunities for the Panthers to establish a lead and perhaps steal a victory, the Niners’ injury-ravaged defense repeatedly prevented Carolina from capitalizing.
Niners safety Ji’Ayir Brown provided the biggest spark, coming up with a pair of interceptions, including one in the end zone, and five tackles.
It’s the first time since Week 3 that the Niners have strung together multiple wins, as they head to Cleveland to face the Browns on Sunday with a…
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