SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Though the bruised and battered San Francisco 49ers haven't had many aesthetically pleasing wins this season, they have found ways to get the victory.

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 improved to 8-4, including 7-2 against NFC opponents. Carolina fell to 6-6 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%.

Despite quarterback Brock Purdy providing plenty of opportunities for the Panthers to establish a lead and perhaps steal a vict

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