Patriots at Panthers score: New England picks off Carolina, Sam Darnold for third consecutive win

The New England Patriots have moved to 5-4 on the season and are winners of three straight after defeating the Carolina Panthers 24-6. It was a sloppy start for both of these clubs to begin this contest as they totaled zero points in the opening quarter to go along with seven penalties for 45 yards. Things started to open up in the second quarter, however, as the Panthers drew first blood with a field goal following a Mac Jones fumble. While Carolina got on the board first, the Patriots responded with a 75-yard touchdown drive to take the lead. From that point forward, New England would be in the driver's seat. 

Former Patriots corner Stephon Gilmore was able to record an interception off his old club in the first half, but New England's defense continued to come up clutch when given a short field and held Carolina to a field goal once again. They also matched the Panthers field goal with another 75-yard touchdown drive to go up 14-6 at the half. 

Over the final two quarters, the Patriots' defense would haunt quarterback Sam Darnold and force three interceptions, including a pick-6 by corner J.C. Jackson. That turnover extended New England's lead to 15 points, which effectively put the game out of reach. 

Darnold finished the afternoon 16 of 33 for 172 yards. Meanwhile, Jones completed 12 of his 18 passes for a touchdown and a pick. The Patriots' backfield was able to rush for 151 yards in the winning effort with Damien Harris also notching a 3-yard touchdown, his fifth consecutive game with a score.

For more on how this game unfolded, check out our takeaways below. 

Why the Patriots won

Even as they struggled early on in this game, the Patriots were able to rise to the occasion when they needed to. After two turnovers by the offense in the first half, the New England defense held Carolina to field goals when given short fields. When the offense got the ball back on the ensuing possessions, they were able to go on two separate 75-yard touchdown drives. That type of complementary football helped them overcome those issues in the early portions of the game, which included four penalties in the first quarter alone. In the second half, New England was really able to apply pressure on Darnold and forced interceptions on three possessions in a row. The Patriots' backfield trio of Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson and Brandon Bolden was also an X factor in the win. That group combined for 146 yards on the ground and a touchdown, while adding five catches for 74 yards.

Why the Panthers lost 

Carolina was able to gain an early lead and forced a couple of first-half turnovers, but that was really all it would manage for the rest of the game. Even as it put points on the board, it couldn't fully take advantage of New England's slow start. After the two turnovers, Carolina would get the ball on the New England 33- and 34-yard line. On both of those possessions, the Panthers couldn't take advantage of the short field and had to settle for field goals. The defense also gave up touchdown drives immediately after the offense would get on the board, which is hardly a winning formula.  

The second half, however, is when the wheels truly fell off for the Panthers. Their final five possessions went as followed: punt, interception returned for a touchdown, interception, interception, turnover on downs. When you have as many interceptions as you do third-down conversions (3), you're not going to win many games as Carolina loses its fifth contest in six weeks. 

Turning point

Jackson's pick-6 off Darnold was what really put this game out of reach. Coming out of halftime, both offenses went three-and-out. Down by just eight, Carolina was able to move the ball on its second possession of the half 64 yards down the field and had just crept into the red zone before Darnold threw it into the arms of Jackson, who returned it 88 yards for the score. That put New England up by two scores and effectively was the dagger, even if there was still over a quarter-and-a-half left in the contest. 

Play of the game

As there typically are in games, there were a number of plays to choose from (Jamie Collins' interception is an honorable mention). However, the spiciest play of the afternoon was Gilmore's pick on Jones in the second quarter. New England tried to run a pick play to free up Jakobi Meyers, but Gilmore was able to sniff it out, avoid the pick and record the interception. 

This was Gilmore's first game against his former team since it traded him in early October, so he likely had a little extra motivation heading into this matchup. After spending years practicing against this offense on a daily basis, he probably knew exactly how to avoid this pick, which shows how institutional knowledge can help against an old team. 

What's next

From here, the Patriots will head back to Foxborough and await the Cleveland Browns for a Week 10 matchup at Gillette Stadium. Meanwhile, Carolina will go on the road to face the Arizona Cardinals.