AP

The Panthers offense bounced back from a terrible outing against the Saints in Week Three with their best effort of the season in Sunday’s 33-30 victory over the Patriots.

The balanced effort saw Cam Newton run for one touchdown and throw for three more, including one on a short pass that Fozzy Whittaker took to the end zone for a 29-yard touchdown. Whittaker wound up open because the defense keyed on Christian McCaffrey motioning to the other side of the field. Newton faked to McCaffrey to set the stage for the kind of play the Panthers talked about a lot this offseason.

After the game, Newton said that the offensive performance was a sign that things are falling into place and noted that there aren’t shortcuts to getting the full package in place.

“Well, it’s not about what a lot of people think because a lot of extracurricular activity, especially throughout the week, but it just takes time,” Newton said in comments distributed by the Patriots. “People have to realize — I have to realize it — it takes time. Anything great — this offense isn’t cereal or quick grits or instant grits — this is a full on entree and we have to prepare it that way. Knowing moving forward, we’ve got impact players and play makers that when you give them the ball or give them opportunities to make plays they will do it.”

As we learned in My Cousin Vinny, no self-respecting Southerner eats instant grits so the Panthers will have to wait for everything to come together in its time. Sunday was a good sign and doing it again next week in Detroit should mean it’s about time to ring the dinner bell.