The third preseason game of an NFL season is a great test for a team to see exactly where they stand in terms of roster composition, position battles, and cohesiveness of a starting unit as teams usually play their starters for an entire half and sometimes even more – that’s the plan that Ron Rivera outlined for this week’s matchup against the Patriots, saying that Cam Newton and the rest of the starters would play the entire first half and one drive on each side of the ball in the second half.
But a matchup with the New England Patriots, they of the future Hall of Fame quarterback and coaching duo that have five championships over the past fifteen years, can be different – it can mean even more.
“It helps us in terms of knowing where we are as a defense -that’s one of the things I really look forward to in terms of this game, because it’s the one you really do prepare for and get ready,” said Ron Rivera this week ahead of the matchup with the team the Panthers have faced nine times during the preseason in their franchise history and have only defeated twice. “First of all, they’re tremendously coached. Secondly, they’re a team that’s used to winning.”
“They do things the right way and it’ll be a very good test for us and we’ll see exactly where we are; I hope that’s our approach as a team, I hope the players understand that this is the type of team you want to play against. Us as coaches [need] to do the best we can to get everybody ready to roll.”
Two players will be squaring off against Tom Brady for the first time – rookies Donte Jackson and Rashaan Gaulden are expected to start on Friday night – even though they were both toddlers when Brady first entered the league. Jackson says that this week has started to show him what a regular season might look like in terms of game planning, even though last week’s game plan against Miami – the rookie’s first NFL start – asked him to play off of receivers and rally to make the tackle, he’s not afraid of hyperbole when facing off with the quarterback many call the GOAT.
“It’s going to be a life-changing moment,” said Jackson after Wednesday’s practice. “It’s going to be fun to get out there and compete – [Brady is] obviously one of the best to ever play the game, I’ve been watching him since I was a kid – so it’ll be cool to get out there and play against him.”
The Panthers are playing the same preseason schedule they faced in 2015, the season they went 15-1 and ultimately faltered in the Super Bowl against the Denver Broncos – their only loss that preseason came against the Patriots, although they led 13-7 when the starters were removed after the first drive of the third quarter; the same schedule Rivera plans to employ this Friday evening.
The Panthers also defeated Brady and the Patriots last season in Foxboro on a last-second Graham Gano field goal, but it’s one of the newest members of the Panthers that might be most familiar with Brady after spending three years alongside Brady’s greatest rival Peyton Manning.
“I played New England eight times in six years, [but] I’ve never played them in a preseason game, so it’ll be interesting to see Bill and Tom that I’m used to seeing – [just] in the preseason atmosphere,” said Anderson, who added that his favorite memory against the Patriots was a snowy 2015 48-yard touchdown run that ended the game in overtime. “They’re going to come to play, it’s the dress rehearsal for everybody around the league with starters and things of that nature. [I’ve] been playing against them for so long, it makes this game plan a little bit easier for me.”
Photo Credit: AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
This will likely be the final time the Panthers’ coaching staff will have a chance to see many of the starters, including offensive lineman Taylor Moton, Greg Van Roten and Jeremiah Sirles, who are expected to receive limited -if any- action in the final preseason game against the Steelers. All three have been pushed into action due to injury, so it’s a fine balance between playing someone like Moton to see how he performs at the all-important left tackle spot and not overexposing him to injury along an already depleted offensive line.
But the opportunity to measure yourself against one of the best in the league, against a team that represented the AFC in three of the past four Super Bowls, that’s something everyone can get excited for.
“It gives you an opportunity to play against a really good team,” said Luke Kuechly, who had 14 tackles in the Panthers 2017 Week 4 win. “What they’ve done speaks for itself and Belicheck and Brady are obviously quite the tandem. It’s a good challenge for us and I enjoy playing those guys – they’ll bring some interesting stuff to the table, I’m sure.”
“We’re going to be ready to go.”
