The 2014 NFL Preseason game between the New England Patriots and the Carolina Panthers on Friday, the 22nd of August was a blowout, as the Patriots beat the Panthers 30-7. The Pats easily covered the spread as 6 point home favorites, with the total going under the 45 1/2 point line.
Tom Brady threw two TD passes and their kicker Gostkowski hit a field goal of sixty yards. Also, the Patriots did not allow a point scored in the first 58 minutes of the game.
The Carolina Panthers did not play well, as the Patriots outgained them on offense, 405 to 271 yards, as they allowed three New England QBs scoring drives. They did not score until the last minute in the 4th quarter with a TD drive of three yards. Coach Rivera said he will probably play his first team longer in their next preseason game.
On three of the first five series, Brady led his team to two TDs and threw for 204 yards on 17 of 21 passes. Carolina QB Cam Newton threw for 88 yards with 8 of 12 completions and was sacked three times; his five series ended with the Panthers punting the ball. Both starting quarterbacks left the game after they played the first series of the 3rd quarter.
In this preseason game the teams 1st teamers usually see the most action in the third game of the preseason and the Panthers who are now 1-2 in preseason sure need to get some improved play from both the offense and the defense. Amazingly the Panthers defense in 2013 had the stingiest unit in the NFL.
The Carolina Panthers only had four days to prepare for this game after the previous week win over the Chiefs 28-16 on Sunday night, while the New England Patriots had more time after their defeat of the Eagles earlier in the week.
Panthers coach Rivera wants to reduce Newton’s time running the ball despite his scampering abilities as on one of his runs in this game he was stunned after being tackled when he tried a run of 7 yards as there were no receivers open. The team x-rayed Newton and everything came out okay.
After Brady played the beginning two series he was replaced by QB Mallett who took some snaps against the 1st string defense of Carolina and he took the team to a position where Goskowski made a 47 yard field goal.
In the first two series that Brady played he engineered two extensive drives that covered some 91 yards and ended in Vereen catching a TD pass if 40 plus yards as Brady threw for 83 yards completing 4 of 5 passes.