CHARLOTTE – The Panthers are headed north for their first action of the season, facing the New England Patriots on Thursday night for the first pre-season game of the year.
The Panthers are 4-4 all-time against the Patriots. Carolina is 2-2 at home and 2-1 on the road at New England. The Panthers lost to the Patriots at a neutral site in Super Bowl XXXVIII. More on the series history can be found here.
Here's what to know about the Patriots:
Patriots to feature all QBs, including Charlotte native
The Patriots currently have four quarterbacks splitting reps: Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye are competing for the starter role, while Bailey Zappe and rookie Joe Milton are duking it out for the third spot.
Maye, a Charlotte native and the third overall pick in April's NFL draft, is not the presumed starter in Foxborough, as the Patriots hope to have time to develop him. Therefore, the need for live game reps is pertinent for the rookie. Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo did say on Tuesday however that Brissett will start the game against the Panthers.
Having all four passers suit up for New England will present a lot of different looks for Ejiro Evero and the Panthers defense, testing a secondary that features both returners and free agent offseason signings.
Pats offensive line depth is thin
The Patriots offensive line has been decimated by injuries throughout the offseason, with two more having to sit out at times on Tuesday after getting roughed up. While few starters were unlikely to play on Thursday night regardless, the Patriots will be forced to field an offensive line with little experience.
As such, it will be difficult to gauge the Panthers front seven. Granted, that is also a unit that will not feature many big names in the game. But between free agent signings and rookies, there is a decent subsect of the Panthers defensive front that needs testing. Additionally, the pass rush unit, outside of Jadeveon Clowney, would like to have a litmus test.
Whatever happens against the Patriots depleted offensive line though might need to be taken with a grain of salt.
Patriots' rookie receivers flashing
A unit that will likely provide a good matchup however is the receiver corps. The Patriots drafted two pass catchers in April, fleshing out a unit that needed the depth. Since then, Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker have found chemistry with the quarterback, no matter if it's Brissett or Maye passing them the ball.
The Panthers are bringing a secondary that has been rebuilt over the offseason, marrying established starters with free agents and rookies that will be asked to play often in rotation. With Polk and Baker riding a wave of standout training camp practices into Thursday night's game, they will be an early but necessary challenge for Evero's defense.
