After a big win last week against the Chargers, the Patriots finally achieved parity in their win-loss record at 4-4. At the mid-season point, the record is a true reflection of this team, they are competitive in most games but failed down the stretch to win a few of them. However, things are looking up with the Patriots on a 2-game winning streak. The good news for the Patriots is that I don’t think the top teams in the AFC have separated themselves in their dominance over the conference, and everything is still up for grabs. On deck, is an inter-conference matchup against Carolina Panthers. The Panthers won last week against the Falcons in a defensive struggle and have the same record as the Patriots at 4-4. Therefore, a tantalizing matchup awaits us on Sunday afternoon. Here is a breakdown of the teams and my bold prediction for the game.
1. The Patriots- Josh McDaniels will need the offensive line to play their best game in this matchup. I think Carolina might be the best pass rush and secondary combo that Mac Jones has faced all season. Last week, Matt Ryan struggled badly against the Panthers’ defense by throwing two bad interceptions and suffering three sacks. The Patriots need to counter their elite pass defense by running the ball with Damien Harris. An effective play-action fake will be key to keeping this defense honest. Also, the Patriots will need to improve their red zones conversion against this Panther’s defense. Last week, the Patriots converted only 1 of the 4 chances in the red zone which kept the game tight.
2. The Panthers- Christian McCaffery returned from the injured reserved this week but there is uncertainty whether he will play in the contest. Sam Darnold is desperate to have his number 1 running back on the field because he has struggled to keep the team afloat in his absence. Despite the win against the Falcons, Darnold struggled 13 of 24, 129 yards, and zero touchdowns or interceptions. Sam will have his hands full with this improving Patriots defense. They picked off the talented Justin Herbert twice and held him in check for most of last week’s game. The Panthers’ offensive line is struggling to protect Darnold and has given up 24 sacks on the season. It is tied for 28th in the league among the active teams. Look for Matt Judon to add to his sack totals.
3. Head to head matchup-this will be the 8th matchup between the Panthers and the Patriots. The Panthers lead the series 4-3 and surprisingly have won 3 of the last four matchups. In the most recent matchup in 2017, a fellow-named Cam Newton came into Gillette Stadium and put on a show in a three-touchdown performance to lead the Panthers to a 33-30 win. The most famous matchup between these teams occurred in Superbowl 38 which the Patriots won 32-29 for their second title in 3 years.
4. Revenge game twist-when the schedule was released in May, many analysts and fans circled this game on the calendar. The storyline would be the revenge of Cam Newton on the Panther’s organization that released him unceremoniously after taking him with the number 1 pick. Bill Belichick ended that possibility when he released Cam before the season. However, the Patriots made an even more shocking decision to trade Stephon Gilmore to the Panthers after week 4. He will be highly motivated to make the Patriots pay this Sunday.
5. Bold Prediction-whether or not McAffery plays, I think it will be a fairly low-scoring contest. I think Darnold will turn the ball over a few times, and Mac Jones will move the sticks and maintain a good time of possession. After going 0-2 against teams in the NFC South, the Patriots badly need to beat the remaining two teams in the division, and I think they will eke out a close win on the road.
Final Score-Patriots 23-Panthers 19
