Panthers vs. Patriots: 5 Critical Takeaways from Carolina's 24-20 Win

There were some critical takeaways from the Carolina Panthers' 24-20 win over the New England Patriots on Monday night. The main takeaways, however, were how well the Panthers defense played and how effectively Cam Newton handled the grand stage.

My takeaways from the game offer fans a glimpse of what may be to come for the Panthers.

One main question many Panthers fans are now wondering is: Exactly how good is this Carolina team?

5. Panthers Can Compete with the Best

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Some critics may not have been entirely impressed with the Panthers schedule so far this season.

Those doubters may have to re-think that because the Panthers have beaten contending teams each of the last two weeks. Last week, the Panthers upended the 49’ers on the road and then on Monday night, they came up with another impressive victory over the Patriots. The Panthers have proven that they can play with the best in the NFL.

Looking ahead, the Panthers still have face the Atlanta Falcons on the road and have two games against New Orleans. Those three games will be very influential in the Panthers' playoff chances, but after Monday night, it looks as if they can hang with those teams.

Among the postgame reviews from Carolina's latest win, David Newton of ESPN.com says he thinks the Panthers are now a “legitimate threat for the NFC title.”

4. People Actually Now Believe in the Panthers

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ESPN’s coverage on Monday Night Football gave the Panthers the national platform they needed to get people to believe in them. The Panthers were a team that was under the radar until last week when they beat San Francisco. Now, analysts actually believe in the Panthers.

According to Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer, ESPN NFL analyst Jon Gruden thinks the Panthers have a shot at the Super Bowl.

Now that the Panthers have people giving them a shot, they need to continue to be consistent while playing with a target on their backs. Moving forward, the Panthers need to remain humble and hungry in order to win the NFC South.

3. The Defense Is Elite

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The Panthers defense has established itself as one of the best in the NFL. However, Ron Rivera noted after Monday night's win, that it wasn’t the “best defensive effort” by his team, according to the Associated Press.

He has a point.

The Panthers defense gave up 390 yards of offense to the Patriots, but one has to consider the fact that Tom Brady is going to have success against most defenses. It’s not necessarily about stopping Brady, but rather trying to limit his success.

Carolina's Luke Kuechly has proven that he is one of the best linebackers in the game. ESPN's Jon Gruden took note of that, saying that Kuechly is “unbelievable” and “the best linebacker in football.”

Gruden added that he thinks the Carolina defense "is one of the best defensive coaching jobs" that he has seen.

Moving forward, the Panthers need to continue playing stellar defense to have a shot at beating out the New Orleans Saints in the NFC South this season.

2.Panthers vs. Saints Will Be a Very Good Matchup

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The Saints have been the favorite in the NFC South all season, but after Monday night the Panthers moved to within one game of them for first place.

The Panthers defense proved that it can contend with elite quarterbacks such as Tom Brady.

Winning against Drew Brees in New Orleans will be a tough task, but if Carolina's offense continues to play the way it has, especially like it did against New England, the Panthers-Saints showdown will be very interesting to watch.

1. Cam Newton's Leadership Is Emerging

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Early in Cam Newton's career, some may have questioned his maturity, but Newton has the Panthers on a six-game winning streak and is playing a major role in their success.

On Monday night, he drove the Panthers 83 yards in 13 plays, capped off by a Ted Ginn touchdown catch to beat the Patriots.

Newton is emerging as a leader and proved on Monday night that he can perform well on the big stage.

Talking to Lisa Salters of ESPN after the game, Newton said that, “Our mentality was to do anything it took to get to 7-3."

Newton is going out every week and laying it all on the line, as he showed against the Patriots with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Newton will need to continue to play turnover-free football in order to give the Panthers a shot at the postseason.