MUNICH, GERMANY — Sometimes you have to go away to find yourself.

On a trip across the Atlantic, the Carolina Panthers defense uncovered who they wanted to be.

There had been peeks here and there, glimpses of what they can become. Pass breakups to secure the two previous wins in Las Vegas and versus the Saints. Big sacks and bigger play in some games from young guys. They were pieces being gathered. And in Munich on Sunday, during a 20-17 win over the New York Giants, the defense began to build something, shaping the unit they want to put on the field week after week.

"We're starting to come together," defensive end A'Shawn Robinson preached following Sunday night's win. "We're starting to make more plays on defense. We're starting to trust each other and gel and building that camaraderie, just truly understanding one another and how each other plays and just truly building it being a brotherhood, from offense to special teams to defense."

The Giants led nearly every major category, from total offense (342 yards), passing (175 yards), first downs (24) and third down conversions (7-of15), as well as time of possession. But the Panthers heeded Dave Canales' message to "finish" and found the moments to make plays that defined the game.

There was the drive when the Giants first made it into the red zone.

On first down from the 19-yard line, Jadeveon Clowney chased down Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. from behind for a loss of two yards. On the next play, the outside linebacker jumped into the path of Daniel Jones' pass, tipping the ball straight into the air. Safety Xavier Woods pushed the only Giants player around him that could make a play on the ball out of bounds, leaving himself clear to make the interception.

Then there was Josey Jewell's interception in the fourth quarter. The Giants had made it a one possession game on their previous drive, were looking to add to it, knocking from the Panthers 8-yard line. When Jones swung the pass left to Tracy, Jewell was there to make a tackle. Instead, he went for the ball, ripping it out of Tracy's hands for the second turnover.

"Yeah, I don't know that one," Jewell joked of the unconventional turnover. "It's just a random one honestly, but I'll take any that I can get."

There were two sacks, one from Robinson and another from D.J. Wonnum, the latter in his Panthers debut. After months of rehabbing his quadriceps injury, only to suffer setbacks that leaned towards the dangerous, the pass-rusher was champing at the bit to get back on the field. He did so in a big way, with the aforementioned sack, six tackles, two for loss and two quarterback hurries.

"I think I celebrated literally with everybody, offense and defense, all the coaches," Wonnum joked of his first sack. "But just knowing those guys, they've been there, they've seen me come to locker rooms every day, how hard I work. So, it's just amazing seeing those guys come to me."

Then there was the biggest play of the day.

The Giants got the ball first in overtime, which meant by the rules of the coin toss, they had the best shot to end the game right then and there. On the first play from scrimmage in extra time though, the Panthers took the ball back. Robinson punched the ball out and Jewell jumped on it for the recovery.

Robinson says he had already predestined the play.

"Two minutes before, we were talking, my teammates were saying I was having a great game and so, you know, coming from that team (the Giants) from last year, I had a little, little extra, more fire, and no one would be better to end the game. So, I was telling them that I would want to end the game if I get the chance.

"I saw them carrying the ball loosely, the whole game, we've been going at it after it and I just had the opportunity just to go after the ball … sat there, waited for the back to jump, jump, hop, shed it, boom, wrap up, struck the ball out."

Josey Jewell says that's a bit of revisionist history.

"He's lying. I know, I would not believe him," Jewell said straight faced, before cracking. "I'm totally joking. I don't know if he said anything in the huddle. Usually I'm the one talking, so I don't know if he said anything in there, we'll have to go back. Hopefully somebody's mic'd up."

Even if no mic's picked up the conversation, the tape speaks for itself. Robinson and Jewell combined to cap off their game and help put the game-winning play on Eddy Piñeiro's foot. The turnovers have been a point of emphasis and contention at times this season. The defense has preached their importance since the offseason, but coming in to Sunday, they had only eight takeaways, near the bottom quarter of the league. But the three against the Giants saw them come in bunches.

"First of all, we need to be able to tackle, and then the turnovers come after that," Jewell, who had six tackles, said. "So, we just got one step at a time, don't think about the ball too much, but we've done a pretty good job these last couple of weeks of increasing that."

The lack of turnovers earlier in the season was often indicative of bigger issues. Those problems, while fixable, were coupled with a rash of injuries touching those who were expected to be starters.

"It's been ... it's been tough," Robinson admitted Sunday. "But us being so young and working together and trusting one another and just truly just talking it out and watching them together and being on the same page, I feel like that's helped us grow as a team.

"Maybe we haven't won those other games, but I've seen us take the right steps and turn the right way offensively, defensively, and special teams wise."

The Panthers will now get a bye week, providing time for rest, relaxation, and extra preparation for the Kansas City Chiefs and their potent offense. What happens in the next game is yet to be seen and could look a lot different than the last two. But the Carolina Panthers defense is leaving Germany confident that they've found something of and in themselves; something sustainable and something on which to build.

"I feel like this whole team is a brotherhood from the coaching staff," Robinson said. "It's really tight, and it's showing. Being a young team, we're really coming together, and I think it is a good step for us to take in the right direction, to trend the right way to be better."

Added Wonnum, "We got players that can make big plays. Obviously, we've seen that today. We just got to keep growing closer, keep continue building together, and you know what I'm saying? The sky's the limit for us."