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Carolina Panthers: Team comes out on the losing end in defensive affair

By Danny Jaillet

FOXBOROUGH, MA - AUGUST 22: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots meets with Greg Olsen #88 of the Carolina Panthers following the Patriots 10-3 preseason victory at Gillette Stadium on August 22, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MA - AUGUST 22: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots meets with Greg Olsen #88 of the Carolina Panthers following the Patriots 10-3 preseason victory at Gillette Stadium on August 22, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images) /
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It was not a good night for the Carolina Panthers.

The Carolina Panthers and the New England Patriots played a defensive-minded game that saw few points go on the board. In the end, it was a loss for Carolina as the Patriots eked out a 10-3 win.

The lone touchdown of the game was scored by New England fullback James Develin. He ran the ball from the one-yard line to give the Patriots a 7-3 lead. Scored at the 9:52 mark, the drive took 15 plays and 85 yards, lasting 8:21. If anything, the drive was methodical. It was a typical Patriots drive, and to their credit, the defense held strong for Carolina.

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Both defenses played fairly well throughout the course of the game. The front seven for both teams were strong. Carolina recorded four sacks, while New England recorded five. The strong defensive play made this look like the first preseason game of the season, instead of a game where the starters were supposed to showcase their talents.

It was a battle of the field goal kickers, as the kickers for both sides were responsible for the rest of the points. Joey Slye hit a 41-yard field goal to conclude a  drive that lasted 17 plays, 44 yards, and took 4:52. That cut into New England lead a bit. However, Stephen Gostkowski managed to give the Patriots a touchdown advantage once again as he booted one through the uprights at the 5:13 mark of the fourth quarter. Concluding a  drive that lasted 10 plays, 70 yards, and erased 4:58 off the clock, that would be all she wrote in the scoring department for both teams.

Obviously, the big story for this game was the injury to quarterback Cam Newton. According to multiple media reports, Newton suffered a sprained left foot, and he is expected to undergo more tests on Friday. The injury is not believed to be too serious. This is great news. If the Carolina Panthers lose Newton, that would certainly be a big blow to the team. We’ll have to see how it all plays out and we are certainly hoping for the best.

The Carolina Panthers next game will be next Thursday against the Pittsburgh Steelers at 7:00 PM. It will be an intriguing finale for a preseason that has had its share of ups and downs to this point. Then after that, the real fun begins. I cannot wait to see how this all unfolds.

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