Curry was there, wearing a Carolina blue Panthers cap and a victor smile, to celebrate with his hometown team, the team that ... Schofield M Jersey had won five straight games, the team that suddenly had the attention of the NFL, and the team that had Cam Newton the young quarterback who, like Curry, had reminded everyone why he was stamped as a star before losing seasons made them question whether they were right.

The Panthers went into the house of the NFC champions and won by the thinnest strand of hair (more specifically, a 53 yard field goal). The win was so fresh Newton barely had time to shower and was still dressing with Curry by his locker. But, to an extent, Curry presence reminded Newton what it felt like to be relevant again.

After starting the season 1 3, the Panthers have gone on a tear that now has them trailing just New Orleans (8 2) for the NFC South lead. At 6 3, the Panthers are just one win shy of their total for all of last season, and three wins shy of their first winning season since 2008.

As the victories stacked on top of each other, they could sense just how special their season could be.

that locker room after that game, you would thought doggone Jesus came back, Newton said. it was that type of feeling. It was a great feeling and we want to keep having that feeling.

The mantra Panthers coach Ron Rivera ingrains in his players is that their Monday night matchup with the Patriots is the most important game because it the next one.

But the last time the Panthers hosted a Monday night game was five years ago, when they beat the Buccaneers, 38 23.

They can sense how big the game is.

an extremely big opportunity and that out of respect of trying to tone it down as much as possible, Newton said. us, we need this more than anything. I think the Carolinas need this more than anything.

think I ... Schofield L Jersey stating the obvious when I say everyone has been fiending for a magical season. No one wants to be a part of, no one wants to be affiliated with, a mediocrity or something that just bland. I think for the past couple years, the Carolina Panthers haven been the hot topic or the hot thing in the league. For us, we just take it one game at a time and this game has a lot of promise.

The difference in the standings for the Panthers seems as stark as the difference in Newton as Cody Latimer 2XL Jersey a quarterback.

In his rookie season in 2011, he passed for 4,051 yards and 21 touchdowns and rushed for 706 yards and 14 more TDs, although the team finished 6 10.

This season, Newton numbers aren eye popping. He passed for 1,970 yards and 13 touchdowns and rushed for 266 yards and four TDs.

But by doing a bit less, he already has as many wins this season as he did in 2011.

When the team struggled to a 7 9 record in Cody Latimer Broncos Jersey 2012, Newton questioned himself, his offensive coordinator, and his team as a whole, going so far as to throw out the idea of a suggestion box to express just how much the Panthers needed change.

Now, having survived the 1 3 start and in the third year of his career, the successes and failures are collective, not individual.

always been in these type situations before, Newton said. playing as good as we capable of playing, throwing interceptions, fumbling the football, missing assignments on defense, holding calls, offsides, false starts. And we, as a team, are mature enough to press the reset button and say, let all come back together and say this game not over. Carolina five game win streak, Newton has passed for 1,085 yards and seven touchdowns. He also completed 67.4 percent of his throws over that span, and has spread the wealth in the process.

think that the way our offense is set up, said tight end Greg Olsen. think that the nature of this game and I think good offenses have multiple weapons that can do things in any particular game. I think that a positive. We don have any one guy that has any gaudy stats, but I think that what our system is.

Having the league second best defense in points allowed also makes a difference, and at times Newton catches himself being a spectator.

have players that are making big plays, the sacks, the turnovers, Newton said. just fun to watch on the sideline, let alone in HDTV.

Before their ironman match with the 49ers, the Panthers had scored at least 30 straight points in four straight games, winning by at least 15 points in each of them.

Newton said he took more from the Niners win than the others.

easy for a team to build camaraderie after a 30 15 win, Newton said. on the sideline, the stars are pretty much out of the game. But I think more than anything, you build a tighter bond with your teammates being in a game like we were in on Sunday.

things that said that don even have to be said or looks or just feelings that you have for a particular person and that your brother. You realize that. You talk to each other inside that huddle, you make a pact to each other to say, I not going to let you down, you not going to let me down, we in this thing together. Let go get a first down, let go get a touchdown.