Patriots Have Work Cut Out For Them vs. Panthers

The New England Patriots are facing a Carolina Panthers defense coming off of a shutout against the Atlanta Falcons.

Carolina's 30-0 win was aided by two interceptions against Atlanta quarterback Michael Penix Jr., including a pick-six from cornerback Chau Smith-Wade. Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel spoke about the defense and explained what the unit does so well.

"Well, they're very sound and they've done a lot. They have a lot in the playbook, they have a lot in their history, but they're playing their best defense when they're just sound when they line up," Vrabel said.

"Very good interior. I think the secondary is very good. I think that, obviously, [Jaycee] Horn, [Mike] Jackson and [Tre'von] Moehrig has been a very good player. Linebackers are good tacklers, and [Derrick] Brown is one of the best interior defensive linemen. But they play sound, they play with their hands, they tackle well. And so, they really haven't been beating themselves too much."

Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn taunts the Jacksonville Jaguars fans after collecting an interception. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Panthers defense allowed the most points in the NFL last season, but it's clear after their performance in the early part of 2025 that this is a very different unit.

The Panthers put an emphasis on the defensive side of the ball in the offseason and it has paid off so far. There are still kinks to iron out, but they could be strong against a Patriots offense that has been up and down through the first three weeks of the season.

The Pats scored just 13 points in their season opener, a seven-point loss to the Las Vegas Raiders at home. While New England responded with 33 points in a Week 2 win, the Patriots managed to put just 14 points on the board in a loss for their last game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Pats offense will have to study and practice hard throughout the week, but if they can find breakthroughs in their preparation, they could find themselves back on top when the Panthers visit Gillette Stadium for their Week 4 matchup.

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