4 crucial matchups to watch during Panthers vs. the Patriots in Week 9

What are some key matchups to watch when the Carolina Panthers take on the New England Patriots in Week 9 at Bank of America Stadium?

Finally. Something Carolina Panthers fans can be happy about!

No more looking for the good on a bad day, at least for a week. It may not have been pretty but the Panthers came together and beat the Atlanta Falcons in their house 19-13 behind a surprisingly balanced performance.

Even though, for the second week in a row, Carolina started the day with a turnover.

The defense shined and the shrewd pickup of Stephon Gilmore paid immediate dividends for a Panthers secondary that has struggled to find its identity in recent weeks.

While the offense did just enough to squeak out a hard-fought victory before Sam Darnold went out of the game after a vicious hit that left the quarterback dazed on the turf.

Nothing about this game will jump out at you. But a win is a win and those have been hard to come by.

Granted the level of competition wasn’t exactly Super Bowl worthy, but this is a huge victory for a Panthers team that just seemed defeated and without confidence. Especially for Darnold who will hopefully not be out for an extended period as P.J. Walker has not shown much in limited reps.

However, all eyes are now squarely focused on what will be an incredibly tough matchup against a reviving New England Patriots team.

This may not be one of those dominant Tom Brady squads of old. But any team coached by Bill Belichick will be a challenge to defeat and this one is no exception to that rule.

The team has elevated the skills of Mac Jones and limited the rookie’s liabilities en route to a surprisingly competitive season. New England has never really been out of any of their games in 2021 and even came within an incredible play by CeeDee Lamb of defeating the Dallas Cowboys in overtime.

Week 9 is going to be a massive test of whether or not Sunday’s triumph was a product of good play and coaching from the Panthers or just a collapse by the Falcons.

With that said, what matchups should be watched closely in this crucial matchup of 4-4 teams fighting for relevance?