Patriots vs. Panthers: Previewing Carolina's Preseason Week 3 Matchup
On Friday, the Carolina Panthers (2-0) take part in the “all-important” third preseason game. This, traditionally, is a warm-up game for the starters, who play somewhere between a half and three quarters in their last dress rehearsal before the regular season starts, as most teams rest all key players in the fourth preseason game.
Last year, for example, Cam Newton and the Panthers’ offensive starters played into the first series of the third quarter. Part of the reasoning behind this is to get the players used to going in at halftime, pausing, and then coming back out to continue a game, as well as generally getting them more reps with one another.
It’s also important for the bottom-of-the-roster players, as it’s the last preseason game before rosters are cut down to 75 men on September 1. This will be the last chance for 15 players to make an impression in a game situation and remain a Panther. Put all of that together and you have the most important preseason game to pay attention to.
The Panthers have a tough opponent for this one, hosting the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots (1-1). They traveled to New England for last season’s third preseason game and ended up limping to a 30-7 loss, their only score taking place with less than two minutes left in the game. They were outgained in yards, 405-271, on the night and generally looked inconsistent. They’ll be looking to improve that performance this year.
It’s always a good opportunity to play the defending champions—it’s a chance to measure your team up against the highest standards. It should be a tough matchup, but in preseason, it doesn’t matter so much whether you win or lose, but rather it's how well you can handle the challenge of a team like New England. It should be a good game to watch.
Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Local TV: Varies from city to city, with WCCB Charlotte being the flagship station. For a complete list of stations, including the one in your area, check out the television page here. Mick Mixon and Mike Rucker will have the call.
National Rebroadcast: NFL Network will rebroadcast the game a few hours later at midnight, using Carolina’s feed. If that’s too late for you, the network will also rebroadcast it at noon on Saturday, which may be the most convenient option for Panthers fans not on the East Coast.
Last Week
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The Cardiac Cats seem to be back. For the second straight week, the Panthers came away with a one-point win as a result of a fourth-quarter comeback.
The starters didn’t look particularly good, with the Miami Dolphins marching up and down the field on them and the offense sputtering at times. Newton was just 4-of-10 for 42 yards, and the starting offense was held scoreless despite a drive down to the opposing goal line. The game was also marred by Frank Alexander’s ACL tear.
That’s not to say there were no positives to come out of the game. The starting offensive line had a very solid day in protection, which is nice to see after there were so many issues last season. So far, the Michael Oher experiment has worked out—he’s only allowed one quarterback hurry in 22 pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus.
Newton has now led at least one long drive in each of the first two games, even if they couldn’t punch the ball into the end zone against Miami. Fourth-round pick Daryl Williams is looking great and could be ready for a more crucial role or at least the primary swing tackle position. There are definitely things to build on going forward.
The Patriots, meanwhile, bounced back from a Week 1 loss to the Green Bay Packers by handling the New Orleans Saints. They didn’t get much out of their first-string either, with Tom Brady failing to pick up a first down. However, backup—and presumptive starter for the first few weeks, thanks to Deflategate—Jimmy Garoppolo bounced back from a poor first week to lead the Patriots on five scoring drives.
Another solid note for Garoppolo would ease a lot of Patriots’ fans hearts as they prepare for the regular season and a Brady-less opening.
Latest Injury News
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Another day, another major injury for the Panthers.
Ryan Kalil suffered a sprained right knee last week and will miss the final two preseason games, per ESPN. The goal is for him to be ready for the regular-season opener. In his absence, Mike Remmers has moved to center, and rookie Daryl Williams has moved into the starting lineup at right tackle.
It will be a good test for the rookie and a chance for Remmers to show his versatility. If you have to see a stud like Kalil go down, it’s best for it to happen for a short while in the preseason to let young players get a chance in spots they don’t normally play in.
Richie Brockel is also being held out of practice, thanks to a shoulder injury suffered in that second preseason game, according to Bryan Strickland of Panthers.com. Add that to Ed Dickson’s groin injury and the Panthers are a little light at tight end. Fortunately, Brandon Williams has come off the PUP list, per Bill Voth of the Black and Blue Review, and could play on Friday.
Tackle Davonte Wallace will likely miss his third consecutive preseason came with a concussion, which does not bode well for his chances of making the 75-man roster.
Other continuing injuries include Star Lotulelei’s foot, Colin Jones’ groin, Lou Young’s hamstring and Amini Silatolu’s calf. Coach Ron Rivera said Lotulelei's “on track” to play in the opener (via ESPN's David Newton), which is the optimistic way of saying he won’t be playing on Friday. Silatolu also returned to practice Wednesday in a limited faction, participating only in position drills, per Matt Henson of the Panthers’ website. That sounds like he won’t be ready for Friday’s game, but the arrow is pointing up.
There is some good news. Both Charles Johnson and Devin Funchess were back at practice and could suit up against New England, according to Bill Voth of the Black and Blue Review. You can add Nate Chandler to that group as well—call all three questionable, but leaning toward playing, in absence of an official injury report.
The Patriots have been banged-up at the receiver position, especially. Julian Edelman, Aaron Dobson and Brandon LaFell have all missed time, as have tight end Scott Chandler and running back Travaris Cadet. That might explain some of the first-team offense's struggles—its targets haven’t been playing.
All but LaFell were back at practice on Wednesday, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. LaFell’s been seen in a walking boot, explaining his presence on the PUP list. The Patriots are notoriously tight-lipped about injuries so, in the absence of official mandated injury reports, we don’t have a lot to go on. Consider any or all of the previously listed players as having a chance to play, other than LaFell.
Starting center Bryan Stork has also missed time. He has what has been termed as “minor” injuries and has yet to take a snap this preseason, being replaced primarily by undrafted free agent David Andrews. Consider him unlikely to play as well.
Other important Patriots players who might be out include linebacker Dane Fletcher (PUP recovering from an ACL), defensive tackle Chris Jones (PUP) and reserve tackle Marcus Cannon, all of whom missed practice Wednesday, according to Howe.
Key Matchups
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OT Michael Oher vs DE Chandler Jones
So far, so good for the Panthers’ new left tackle. With PFF charting him with just one quarterback pressure allowed to this point in the preseason, Oher is passing all the on-field tests being put in front of him.
He’ll have another big one on Friday night, going up against the Patriots’ fourth-year defensive end, Chandler Jones. Jones was New England’s best pass-rusher last season. His sack total dipped from 11.5 to six, but that was due to missing six games—he was still very productive on a per-play basis.
PFF charted him with 32 total pressures last season, and he’s continued that pattern this year in preseason. Jones is coming off surgery—likely hip-related, though the Patriots are tight-lipped—but has looked explosive so far, picking up a sack versus the Packers.
This will be Oher’s toughest test to date. If he can keep the pocket clean against Jones, he’ll probably be solid enough to work through the regular season.
WR Devin Funchess vs…Malcom Butler? Tarell Brown?
The Patriots are in a bit of quandary at cornerback. With Darrelle Revis out of town, the Patriots have been starting Malcolm Butler, Robert McClain, seventh-round pick Darryl Roberts and even free safety Devin McCourty at the position, as they’ve tried to solidify it before the regular season.
Bradley Fletcher is another name, and he’s looked the best of the options at right corner, with a couple of pass breakups against New Orleans.
Whoever’s back there will get to deal with Funchess. Funchess had a promising start against Buffalo, catching a 34-yard bomb down the right sideline and another 19-yard pass over the middle. He had to sit out all of last week’s game, however, with a sore hamstring.
With Kelvin Benjamin out for the year, the team will be heavily counting on Funchess this season. The starting receivers last week, Ted Ginn and Corey Brown, combined for just one catch for 15 yards. They need Funchess to step up and make a splash this season, much like Benjamin did last year. With the Patriots in flux at the position, Funchess has an opportunity to make a splash.
SS Roman Harper vs TE Rob Gronkowski
Stopping the Patriots’ aerial attack requires dealing with the best tight end in football. It’s worth noting Gronkowski hasn’t taken a single snap yet this preseason, making it 11 straight preseason games Gronk has sat out. They may just be taking it easy on him—the oft-injured Gronkowski is actually healthy this offseason, but there’s no reason to risk him getting injured, right?
Well, WEEI's Dennis & Callahan Show interviewed Gronkowski, and he said that it would “[be] nice to get one [game in]”. When dealing with New England’s tea leaves, that’s about the only thing solid we have to go on, and it certainly wouldn’t be stunning if Gronkowski played a series or two, just to get ready for some game speed.
If he plays, the responsibility for covering him will fall squarely on Harper's shoulders. Harper hasn’t been tested too much this preseason—Pro Football Focus has charted him with allowing two receptions on two targets for only eight yards. However, neither Jordan Cameron nor Charles Clay gives precisely the same level of competition a healthy Gronk provides.
Harper was a mixed bag in coverage last season. He had four interceptions last year, but he often would take poor angles and routes to coverage. He’s still a big hitter and not a complete liability or anything of that nature, but in a regular-season matchup, he’d have his hands full with Gronkowski. Hopefully, Gronk plays some so we can get a good test of just how much Harper has left.
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X-Factors
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Panthers: QB Cam Newton
Perhaps it’s a bit questionable to list the starting quarterback as an “X-factor,” but the starting offense as a whole needs a spark, and that starts with the man behind center.
Through the first two preseason games, Newton is 9-of-20 passing for 125 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. He’s coming off a week in which his quarterback rating was a miniscule 13.3. Simply put, that’s not good enough. Yes, he was without multiple top receiving options last week and, yes, the running game and Jonathan Stewart will help when that’s in full flow, but so far, he’s been underwhelming against vanilla defenses.
The worst part of the Panthers’ starting offense so far has been the slow starts. It’s taken an entire quarter in both games for the Panthers offense to put together a drive of more than five plays. They need to get something going well right from the very start in this one, to have something to build on going into the regular season.
So far, the Patriots have had preseason football's worst pass defense. They’ve given up an average of 323 yards per game and are allowing opposing quarterbacks a rating of 111.9. Some of that, of course, is due to those opposing quarterbacks being Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees, but even their backups were having success against New England.
The opportunity is there for Newton to have a strong offensive game against a team still trying to answer its’ defensive back issues. Newton needs to step up and deliver.
Patriots: DB Devin McCourty
Speaking of those defensive back issues, Devin McCourty blossomed over the last two seasons when moved from cornerback to safety. The problems at the position, however, had McCourty moved back with the cornerbacks last week, where he allowed 36 yards on two receptions and three targets, as well as saving a touchdown with a pass breakup.
McCourty struggled as a cornerback some when he was drafted, before becoming an All-Pro at the safety position. If need be, he could probably move back to his rookie position, but could he bring that same level of All-Pro play with him? That’s hard to predict.
This week, McCourty was back working with the safeties, according to Doug Kyed of NESN. Perhaps the move to corner was just a temporary one—Bill Belichick's experiement to see what would happen if none of the other corners work out. I wouldn’t put it past him.
Be it corner or safety, however, McCourtey is now the most talented and most experienced member of New England’s secondary, now that Darrelle Revis has returned to New York. So far, the New England pass defense has really struggled, and it'll be looking to right the ship against Carolina.
Prediction: Patriots 23, Panthers 21
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Let’s be blunt. While both the Patriots and Panthers were playoff teams a year ago, they came in under very different circumstances.
The Panthers required a furious late-season rush to even make the playoffs, and they still didn’t reach .500. The Patriots, after some early struggles, quickly rounded out into the juggernaut they’ve been since Belichick and Brady joined forces and marched all the way to a Super Bowl victory. There’s a talent gap here.
That being said, if the Panthers were to win, this is the situation they’d look for. The Patriots have pass-defense issues. Brady has yet to get on track in games, only going 3-of-9 for 23 yards and gaining one first down. They have injury concerns at wide receiver and a massive distraction off-field with Brady’s Deflategate appeal. The game’s at home, too, so Carolina can count on a loud fanbase spurring them on.
It’s enough to where I’d consider the outcome of the game somewhat in doubt—I wouldn’t lay money on it or pick it in my survivor pool or anything. However, the Patriots were the best team in football last season and are my early pick to repeat as Super Bowl champions. I don’t see the Panthers, who have struggled a bit against starting lineups so far this preseason, containing the champs in this one.
Bryan Knowles is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the Carolina Panthers. Follow him @BryKno on Twitter.
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