The Carolina Panthers Week 15 loss to the Buffalo Bills wasn't all too surprising, but the result was still a tough pill to swallow for Panthers fans. Despite Matt Rhule electing to roll with Cam Newton at quarterback, the results in the passing game were much of the same, and the team fell short in the 31-14 loss.

The Panthers' hot start to the season is a figment of the past at this point, and the crushing reality is that this is not a good football team. Rhule's quarterback carousel only stood to complicate things further, but even with that in the rear-view, there are plenty of issues to address, particularly on offense. Having now lost four in a row, the Panthers are effectively ready to wave the white flag on the 2021 season, but they'll look to find some positives in the final few weeks of the year.

Ahead of their Week 16 matchup with the Buccaneers, here are a few Panthers Week 15 takeaways from the disappointing loss against the Bills.

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Carolina Panthers Week 15 Takeaways

3. Carolina's QB situation won't be fixed until the O-Line is

Say what you want about Cam Newton's performance in the air on Sunday (it wasn't great) but much of the blame needs to be placed on the offensive line, which ultimately left the veteran QB out to try. Newton had a handful of throws deflected at the line and was constantly under pressure from Buffalo's defense. Newton managed to limit the sacks to just four, which is still a lot, but was never able to find his footing in the pocket. While he certainly made mistakes, the blame shouldn't be placed entirely on him.

No quarterback could succeed with an offensive line made of revolving doors, and that would have been an upgrade over the protection the Panthers QB received on Sunday. Newton definitely needs to improve if the Panthers don't want to end the season with their current tally of five wins, but in order for him to have a chance at doing so, the entire offensive line needs to figure it out and offer him more than a second or two of time to throw. With deep threats like D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson at his disposal, having some time in the pocket is crucial.

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2. Cam Newton is the team's best rusher (without CMC)

Sorry Chuba Hubbard, but even without Christian McCaffrey on the field, you're playing second fiddle out of the backfield. Newton was far and away the focal point of Carolina's rushing attack on Sunday, recording 15 carries for 71 yards and a touchdown. The mobile quarterback has scored a rushing touchdown in each game since his return to the organization, something the team can lean into in order to exploit opposing defenses.

Hubbard wasn't ineffective in the game, rushing the ball eight times for 40 yards, but overall Rhule felt the ball was better off in Newton's hands, where he can utilize the versatility that made him one of the most entertaining players in football during his prime. Even if Newton no longer has the accuracy or arm strength he did during his heyday, he's still a talented rusher and can make game-changing plays at any moment with his legs.

1. The defense played better than the scoreboard suggests

Surrendering 31 points is never ideal for a defense, but the Panthers entered play as significant underdogs and when you take a deeper look into the numbers, their performance defensively wasn't too shabby. While Josh Allen managed to throw three touchdowns, sometimes quarterbacks of that caliber are inevitable, and a couple of his touchdown throws were made on picture-perfect throws. Still, Allen was able to pick the Panthers' secondary apart when it mattered most — around the end zone. Despite a nice interception from Carolina's Jeremy Chinn, Allen got the upper hand in the battle.

In terms of rushing defense, however, the Panthers did well to stall Devin Singletary. The Bills RB averaged 3.9 yards per carry on the evening, rushing 22 times for 89 yards and a touchdown. Considering the frequency with which Buffalo was running the football, Carolina managed to defend well against it.