5 things to monitor closely during Panthers vs. the Patriots in Week 9

What things should be monitored extremely closely when the Carolina Panthers take on the New England Patriots in Week 9?

The Carolina Panthers are still in a make-or-break situation regarding their fortunes in 2021 despite getting a big win at the Atlanta Falcons. Matt Rhule’s men are occupying the seventh seed heading into this weekend’s clash against the New England Patriots at 4-4, so there is no margin for error considering how daunting the team’s run of fixtures appears down the stretch.

Although the Patriots should still be respected, this is a home game against less than stellar opposition that the Panthers have a good chance of gaining success over. They’ll have to do this without quarterback Sam Darnold due to a concussion and shoulder problem, with the status of Christian McCaffrey also hanging in the balance even though he returned to practice this week.

Next weekend is a difficult-looking trip to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10, so the stakes could not be much higher on Sunday. It promises to be a fascinating clash at the midseason point, with the weather changing from the warmer climate we’ve been used to earlier in the campaign.

Here are five things to monitor closely when the Panthers take on the Patriots in Week 9.

Number 1

Can Zane Gonzalez keep his good run going with the Carolina Panthers?

The NFC Special Teams Player of the Week was a Panthers kicker. Not something anybody expected to say considering their struggles earlier in the campaign.

Zane Gonzalez has been on a tear in recent weeks. He was flawless at the Falcons in Week 8 and if things keep going in the right direction, the player could see an extended deal coming his way once the season comes to a conclusion.

This is going to be a game with very little in it judging by the two rosters. So the Panthers will be counting on Gonzalez to keep up his remarkable run of form against a Patriots team that has some quality.

If he can do this, then the Panthers might just emerge victoriously from another must-win game.