Patriots Tame Panthers For Blowout Home Win

Friday, August 22, 2014

Matt LaPan, GoLocal Worcester Sports Reporter

The 3rd preseason game is often considered to be the most important of all the preseason games. It is the final "dress rehearsal for players and coaches before roster cuts start. For the Patriots, this meant seeing the full defensive unit for the first time and seeing Tom Brady play a significant amount of time. The Patriots did not disappoint, taking down Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers 30-7.

The game did not start off very well for the Patriots, as Tom Brady and the offense struggled to get in synch for the first two drives. The defense, however, had no problem getting going early and often. The Patriots received three sacks on the first two defensive drives, including two from Chandler Jones on 3rd down.

The first score of the game came late in the 1st quarter with a surprise twist to the offense. That twist was Ryan Mallett running the offense. It appeared to be a prototypical Bill Belichick move to surprise the backup quarterback, much like if he was needed in a regular season game. Mallett led the team to a decent drive that ended in a 47-yard Stephen Gostkowski field goal, making it 3-0 Patriots.

The defense continued to play great football, playing in both 3-4 and 4-3 defenses. The best part of the defense was the defensive backfield. Cam Newton and the Panthers receivers had nowhere to go as Darrelle Revis, Malcolm Butler and company held the Panthers to just 94 yards of total offense in the 1st half.

The Patriots got their first touchdown drive in the 2nd quarter with Tom Brady back under center. Brady led the offense on a long, methodical 14-play touchdown drive that ended in a 40-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady to Shane Vereen.

The Patriots got one more score right before the end of the half, as Stephen Gostkowski hit a booming 60-yard field goal to give the Patriots a 13-0 halftime lead.

The 2nd half was no different, as the Patriots continued to dominate on both sides of the ball. Brady came out of the half and played with the first-team offense for another scoring drive. The Patriots were nearly stopped but a penalty on Frank Alexander saved the drive. Eventually Brady found Shane Vereen for another touchdown, this time a dramatic diving score for Vereen.

Vereen was called down short of the goal line originally, but Bill Belichick threw the challenge and the call was overturned.

The Patriots defense did not let up, even when Carolina went to backup quarterback Derek Anderson. Anderson was driving the Panthers when Steve Beauharnais stepped in front of a slant route and intercepted the ball. He promptly returned the ball 61 yards and helped set up another Patriots field goal to make it 23-0.

The Patriots then went to their backups, including Jimmy Garoppolo for the remainder of the game over Ryan Mallett. Garoppolo was able to lead one more scoring drive when he found Tyler McCuller for a touchdown to make it 30-0 Patriots.

The Panthers broke the Patriots' shutout bid extremely late in the game under the direction of Joe Webb. Webb found D.C. Jefferson for a 3-yard touchdown with just 1:18 left in the game. The Patriots were able to sit on the ball to run down the game and come away with consecutive preseason home wins.

The Patriots quarterbacks were on fire against the Panthers, combining for a stat line of 28-36 for 323 yards and three touchdowns. They were not sacked and did not throw any interceptions. Tom Brady obviously led the way, going 17-21 for 204 yards and 2 touchdowns.

His favorite receiver was no surprise - Julian Edelman. Edelman hauled in eight passes for 99 yards. Shane Vereen played a key role, grabbing five passes for 57 yards and two touchdowns.

The defense was the story for the Patriots on this night though. Chandler Jones dominated while he was in the game, collecting six tackles and two sacks while creating consistent pressure. Steve Beauharnais also played well, adding three tackles and a pass defense to his interception.

The Patriots will return to action next Thursday night in New Jersey against the New York Giants. They will only have 75 men on the roster at that point, however, as the first round of cuts comes this Tuesday.