Five Questions Ahead of Panthers vs. Patriots

The New England Patriots are going into their Week 4 matchup hungry for a win as they take on Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers at Gillette Stadium.

To learn more about the Pats' next opponent, we spoke with Carolina Panthers On SI contributor Zach Roberts.

The Panthers are 1-2 to start the season. What has the general vibe around the team been like for the first three weeks?

The vibe has been completely whiplash. At first, it looked like the Panthers had somehow regressed and might even be worse. Then it looked like they were the same as last year, and now they look a little better. It’s hard to nail down what’s real, but coming off a win like that, the vibe is definitely good. For now.

What’s one thing people should know about the Panthers that cannot be found in a box score?

Bryce Young is better than you think. The box score never really does him justice. Some uglier stat lines have not been a true indicator of performance (Jacksonville W1, for example). Some great outings have resulted in middling box scores (Atlanta W3 for another). The stats would suggest he’s not really that good, but they don’t tell the truth here.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young runs in the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Who is a player that Patriots fans should know about going into the Week 4 matchup?

Patriots fans should be aware of cornerback Mike Jackson. Understandably, Jaycee Horn gets all the attention in the defensive backfield, but Jackson is legit. In some metrics, he’s done better than Horn. There’s some matchup skewing that probably helps, but the point is that Jackson is good.

If the Panthers were to win the game, what would be the reason why?

If the Panthers win, it’ll be because they do what they did to ATL. New England really struggled to take care of the ball last week (sound familiar, Falcons fans?), and when Carolina protects the ball, they’re ok. So with that same formula looking very possible this week, a win is certainly plausible.

What’s your prediction for the game?

I predict another Panthers win, but it won’t be easy. Drake Maye is a really good player, and he won’t self-destruct like Michael Penix Jr. If the Panthers can play smart like they have for about five quarters in a row, this should be a nice, well-earned victory.

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