He Looks Like Young of Old : NFC: Quarterback throws for 336 yards and two touchdowns and runs for a third as San Francisco romps past Carolina, 31-10.

In his first two games since returning from shoulder surgery, Steve Young left some questions lingering about how far his recovery had progressed. On Sunday, he closed the debate.

“I feel like I’m getting to midseason form,” Young said after he threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third in San Francisco’s 31-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers.

Young, whose injured throwing shoulder kept him out of the Panthers’ Nov. 5 victory in San Francisco, underwent surgery Nov. 13. He threw for 226 and 242 yards in his first two games back--solid but unspectacular performances in which he also struggled with his accuracy at times.

But Young had no such problems Sunday, completing 31 of 45 passes for 336 yards. It was his most productive yardage total since throwing for 348 yards on Sept. 25 against Detroit, and his total attempts were two more than his previous career high of 43 against Chicago in November, 1986.

“I feel very good,” he said. “I’m feeling more confident. I’m still working on a little more accuracy, trying to put the ball in a better spot every time. But it’s coming around.”

Young, who was sacked twice and took a number of hard hits, said he didn’t think there was any rustiness remaining from the surgery.

“If there’s any, it got knocked off today,” he said.

Young helped San Francisco (10-4) extend its NFL-record streak of 10-victory seasons to 13 in a row.

The 49ers could have wrapped up their sixth NFC West title in seven years under Coach George Seifert by defeating Carolina and having Atlanta either lose to or tie New Orleans. But Atlanta defeated the Saints, postponing the 49ers’ title drive for at least a week.

Seifert found some consolation in the 49ers’ play in their rematch against the Panthers, who had forced five turnovers in San Francisco.

“We played a heck of a lot more effectively and more intently,” Seifert said. “At the same time, Carolina made some great plays the last time we played them.”

Carolina (6-8) was trying to keep itself in the thick of the battle for a wild-card playoff spot, something no expansion team had ever flirted with before. Instead, the Panthers fell short in their third attempt to reach the .500 mark this season and were eliminated from playoff contention.

“We didn’t make the plays that you have to make to play against a team like the 49ers,” Coach Dom Capers said. “You have to be very efficient, and we weren’t.”

Carolina’s 13-7 victory over the 49ers was the first time an expansion team defeated a defending Super Bowl champion, and the rematch drew 76,136, the Panthers’ first sellout at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium. But Young quieted the crowd by throwing for 214 yards in the first half as the 49ers built a 21-3 advantage.