Patriots Live Blog: Pats Beat Panthers 19-17 In Carolina
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
Final, 19-17 Patriots: Phew. The onside kick bounced harmlessly out of bounds, Jacoby Brissett came out for the knee, and this one is mercifully over.
It was a good three quarters, and the Patriots' defense has a lot to feel great about. The offense ... the offense has some work to do. But most importantly, the Patriots made it out of Carolina without any injuries, and with another preseason win.
Fourth quarter, :27, 19-17 Patriots: Huge night for Joe Webb. Huge.
He just led yet another drive to the end zone. The Patriots are gassed ... and also the backups are backups. This isn't exactly high stakes football.
Thankfully, the Panthers went for two, to eliminate the possibility of overtime. They converted it, so they can technically get an onside, then drive into field goal range, and win the game. They probably won't get the onside kick, but at least it will take a while for this game to end.
Fourth quarter, 1:34, 19-9 Patriots: These two teams don't want to go home. They want to play all night.
The Patriots' drive went nowhere. We'll see what Carolina has left in the tank.
Fourth quarter, 2:02, 19-9 Patriots: Oh thank goodness. The two-point conversion didn't count. We don't have to worry about overtime. Deep breath.
Fourth quarter, 2:02, 19-11 Patriots: Ah. Well they're back in the end zone, and this one counts. Joe Webb to Marcus Lucas.
The real bad news is that Carolina converted the two-point conversion with an inside handoff, and so it's a one-possession game, which means the final two minutes of this game might take a while. And there's the risk of OVERTIME. This cannot happen.
But ... the two-point conversion is being reviewed. The runner's knee might have been down. We'll find out soon.
Fourth quarter, 2:07, 19-3 Patriots: It didn't count. It's off the board. Oh, the humanity.
Fourth quarter, 2:14, 19-9 Patriots: Any hopes of the Patriots keeping the Panthers out of the end zone tonight have been dashed. For now.
Joe Webb fit a nice pass into the end zone for Miles Shuler, and he came down with it in the back of the end zone. But it's being reviewed, and it doesn't look like he got both feet in. We shall see!
Fourth quarter, 5:25, 19-3 Patriots: You've got to hand it to Jacoby Brissett. Yes, it's against backups, but he's now 8-for-8 for 85 yards and the touchdown.
He relied on D.J. Foster a bit on this drive, getting the Patriots down to the 12-yard line, where they had to settle for a field goal. Stephen Gostkowski hit this one, and the lead extends.
The Patriots are probably going to win this game rather comfortably, but you can bet the defense wants to go out and get another stop to keep the Panthers at three points.
Fourth quarter, 9:53, 16-3 Patriots: For those of you still following the live blog, I'll sum up the most recent Panthers drive like this: Derek Anderson isn't very good.
Fourth quarter, 11:20, 16-3 Patriots: A.J. Derby came up with a catch over the middle for a gain of 20 yards, but that would be it. Brissett's pass to Harper on third down came up a yard short of the sticks, and the Patriots had to punt.
It's full-on backup bowl now.
End of third quarter, 16-3 Patriots: Another three-and-out for Carolina, this time with Derek Anderson in the game. Through three quarters, it's been a very good night for the New England defense, which has forced as many turnovers as it has allowed points. The Panthers gained just 194 yards through three quarters.
The flip side is that the Patriots have been held to just 214 yards. It's not been a spectacular night for the offense, and there's quite a bit of fine-tuning that will need to be done before Sept. 11. Obviously, the Panthers defense is a very good one, but Arizona will bring a pretty dangerous group to the field in Week 1 as well. A performance like this might not work out too well.
Third quarter, 1:29, 16-3 Patriots: Hey, look at that. It's a touchdown. But it didn't come from Jimmy Garoppolo.
It was Jacoby Brissett in at quarterback on that drive, and after getting the ball to the 12-yard line, he hit DeAndre Carter on a skinny post on third down for a touchdown. These guys may be backups, but they're pretty fired up about that.
Third quarter, 3:48, 9-3 Patriots: Cyrus Jones' biggest opportunity this year will be as a punt returner. He just made the most of that opportunity.
He caught a punt inside his own 10-yard line, spun to his right, cut up the numbers, then cut diagonally across the field and broke free. He juked the punter but had to make another move, allowing the punter to catch him from behind. But the damage had been done, in the form of a 60-yard return. That was a good one.
We'll now see if the offense can turn it into points. They take over at the Carolina 30.
Third quarter, 6:49, 9-3 Patriots: On first down, Aaron Dobson had a pass knocked out of his hands along the right sideline after a rollout that way by Garoppolo. On second down, Gaffney ran into a wall at the line of scrimmage. And on third down, Garoppolo escaped some pressure, sprinted toward the line of scrimmage, and tried to lob a pass down the field to Keshawn Martin. It fell incomplete.
Jonathan Joseph made a spectacular tackle (as far as tackles on punts go, and a hold on Carolina will start the Panthers inside their own 20.
Third quarter, 7:49, 9-3 Patriots: The Patriots surrendered some yards in a very short period of time there, and they would have given up a touchdown if not for an Ed Dickson drop, but the New England defense did step up on third down and force Newton to throw it away. The Panthers settled for a field goal.
Belichick will definitely use that drive to wag some fingers at the defense, as Mike Tolbert proved to be a bit of a problem.
Third quarter, 11:51, 9-0 Patriots: There was a whole lot of LeGarrette Blount on that drive, including a handoff on fourth-and-1. It looked like he might have had a chance to pick up the yard, but then Luke Kuechly was on his back. And that was that.
Blount fumbled earlier on the drive, but recovered it.
The fourth-down attempt came after White gained just a yard on third-and-3.
The offense is not faring well against this Carolina defense.
Carolina takes over at midfield.
Third quarter, 14:55, 9-0 Patriots: Matthew Slater took it out of the end zone and only made it the 19-yard line. The drive will begin there.
Third quarter, 15:00, 9-0 Patriots: Second half about to begin. Patriots will receive.
Halftime, 9-0 Patriots: The Panthers offense is doing nothing. They just went three-and-out in about a half-a-minute. Ugly stuff.
Garoppolo wasn't given the chance to be any better, as the Pats decided to take a knee to end the half.
Some stats:
Brady: 3-for-9, 76 yards, TD
Garoppolo: 5-for-9, 37 yards, fumble
Newton: 8-for-20, 61 yards, 2 INTs
Anderson: 3-for-5, 37 yards, INT
Blount: 3 rushes, 22 yards
Gaffney: 3 rushes, 34 yards
Stewart: 3 rushes, 23 yards
Artis-Payne: 5 rushes, 15 yards
Hogan: 4 receptions, 58 yards, TD
Dobson: 2 receptions, 49 yards
Funchess: 5 receptions, 49 yards
Ginn: 2 receptions, 18 yards
Second quarter, 1:39, 9-0 Patriots: On third-and-7, there was some good Jimmy, as he bounced off a would-be flying sack. But then there was bad Jimmy, as he scrambled left and exposed the ball while Thomas Davis chased him down from behind and knocked the ball free. The Patriots recovered, but putting the ball on the turf at that spot on the field (inside their own 20) within two minutes of the half is a potential game-changing mistake.
That's also the type of speed that can't be simulated in practice, where QBs aren't hit. So chalk that up as learning experience.
Second quarter, 2:08, 9-0 Patriots: Another three-and-out for Cam Newton, who came back in, and it looks like Jimmy Garoppolo will be coming in for the two-minute drill.
Second quarter, 3:00, 9-0 Patriots: Tom Brady's (likely) final drive of the night was not spectacular. He threw what should have been an interception on second down, and he had to take a sack on third down, when the pocket collapsed instantly. Bad memories of Denver there, perhaps.
Second quarter, 3:53, 9-0 Patriots: This is getting a little bit ridiculous now. The Pats' D just came up with another interception.
This one came against Derek Anderson, who's in for Cam Newton. Anderson just threw a terrible pass, his second in a row, and Harmon was in the right place to make the pick at the goal line.
He brought it all the way out to the 25-yard line, where Tom Brady will come out for yet another series.
Second quarter, 7:07, 9-0 Patriots: Not a great night for the field goal unit, as Gostkowski's 52-yard attempt was not even close. It missed the net behind the end zone. That was a long one, but it is within Gostkowski's range.
The field goal attempt wouldn't have been so long if not for a drop by A.J. Derby on third-and-4, after Brady put it on his hands. That's a pass you've got to squeeze if you want to make the team.
Second quarter, 9-0 Patriots: There's nothing else to say except to repeat it: The New England defense came to play.
Carolina just went three-and-out, thanks to Jamie Collins breaking down and hauling down Fozzy Whittaker on third-and-10.
Cyrus Jones had a lot of room to run, and he showed good burst while breaking up the field for a 20-yard return. Pats take over at their own 43.
Second quarter, 10:02, 9-0 Patriots: Tom Brady. Still capable of throwing picture-perfect touchdown passes. Even to new guys.
That's what happened here, after a couple of solid runs by Tyler Gaffney set up a second-and-5 from the Carolina 33-yard line. Brady took a shotgun snap, waited a beat, and then lobbed an absolutely perfect pass over the shoulder of a streaking Chris Hogan.
Hogan hauled it in around the 5-yard line and took it just inside the right pylon for six.
The two-point conversion went incomplete.
That pass was a thing of beauty, similar to Brady's touchdown to Brandon LaFell vs. Baltimore in the 2014 divisional round, just on the other side of the field. Passes don't get any better than that.
Second quarter, 11:41, 3-0 Patriots: The Panthers were driving, and the Patriots defense looked a bit gassed. But on a second-and-20, Newton threw over the middle and didn't see Chris Long, who got his mitt up in the air to deflect the pass. It ended up flying right into Devin McCourty's bread basket, and the safety picked it off and returned it 27 yards to midfield.
Long had just drawn a holding call on the left end, so it was quite the series for him.
First quarter, :23, 3-0 Patriots: That was pretty fun, as far as preseason goes.
Brady entered the game, and the whole building was electrified. Booing, cheering, and excitement filled the place. And he threw over the middle on first down to Dobson, who shook a tackle and broke free for a big gain of 37 yards. Brady then threw an incompletion to a covered Edelman before Blount ran for five. On third-and-5 from the 7-yard line, Brady went for the lob pass to Bennett in the back of the end zone, but it was maybe two inches too high.
Gostkowski came on and hit a 25-yarder, and the Patriots have the first lead of the night.
First quarter, 1:56, 0-0: Jonathan Stewart broke a long run to get the Panthers out of trouble, but the Panthers drive ends with a failed fourth-down conversion.
Big stick by Malcolm Butler on Ed Dickson highlighted that drive.
And now, Tom Brady is in the game.
First quarter, 4:41, 0-0: We knew going in that the Carolina defense would present a challenge. So far, the New England offense is failing the test.
On this drive, Garoppolo hit Dobson on the right sideline for a quick gain of 12 to start out. But the positives ended there.
LeGarrette Blount ran into a wall of humans on first down, and Garoppolo ran backwards before throwing it away on second down. That intentional grounding penalty led to a third-and-26, and a pitch left to James White didn't work, as Luke Kuechly made a great read and burst through the line to tackle White for a loss of three.
It's not good so far on offense.
Panthers take over on their own 9-yard line.
First quarter, 6:40, 0-0: This New England defense is for real. Logan Ryan had perfect coverage on Kelvin Benjamin, but Cam Newton decided to test it up the left sideline anyway. It was a bad decision.
Ryan turned, looked for the ball, and thanks to his positioning was able to bring down the football despite Benjamin's height advantage.
So it's back to Garoppolo and the offense to try to sustain something here. They take over at their own 35.
First quarter, 0-0: Neither offense is looking great at the moment, as the Patriots went backwards on that drive. Julian Edelman got called for a hold on a nice Tyler Gaffney run to start the drive, and that killed it. After a short screen to Hogan, Garoppolo took a hit while throwing on second down, leading to an incompletion. On third-and-18, with nowhere to throw, Garoppolo tucked it and ran ... one yard.
The punt coverage unit held Ted Ginn to 9 yards on the return, and the Panthers start at their own 28.
First quarter, 9:22, 0-0: The Patriots' defense came to play. After a Carolina holding penalty on first down, Carolina made little headway up the field. On a third-and-14, after Newton had to take a timeout, the QB had nowhere to throw, and Trey Flowers eventually broke free to take him down for a sack.
Pats take over at their own 35-yard line.
First quarter, 11:16, 0-0: The drive was rolling, and the offense looked great. And then, Garoppolo threw what should have been an interception. And ... then Stephen Gostkowski missed a chip shot field goal.
Not a very good finish to the drive.
It got off to a promising start when Garoppolo ran a play-action fake and threw to Chris Hogan, who had room to run for 14 yards. Tyler Gaffney then followed his blocks for a gain of 14.
But on a third-and-4 from the 12-yard line, Garoppolo wasn't on the same page as Edelman, and the QB put the ball directly into Luke Kuechly's chest.
Kuechly dropped it, but that's now three should-be INTs in the red zone in as many games for Garoppolo.
Making matters worse, Gostkowski pulled the 30-yard field goal attempt. And this one's still scoreless.
First quarter, 13:47, 0-0: Cam Newton had all day to throw on a third-and-9, but the Patriots' defense left nobody open. Carolina went three-and-out on the opening possession, and a Cyrus Jones made a fair catch at the New England 42-yard line. However, Brandon King ran into the punter, which allowed for a rekick. Bill Belichick will not be happy about that one.
On the second chance, punter Mike Scifres actually did worse. Patriots -- and Garoppolo -- take over at the 50-yard line.
First quarter, 14:55, 0-0: It's time for some preseason football, folks. The Panthers received the opening kick.
7:07 p.m.: Those fans sporting their new Barkevious Mingo jerseys will be disappointed to learn that the new No. 51 won't be active tonight. That's too bad. Every Friday night needs some Barkevious Mingo.
6:45 p.m.: In addition to seeing Tom Brady, it looks like fans will be treated to the work of Julian Edelman this evening, as No. 11 is suited up and looks ready to go.
Edelman didn't play last week and has been partly limited this summer after experiencing a bit of pain in his surgically repaired foot. Working this evening on real grass will be a good test for the season.
5:20 p.m.: Everybody was wondering how the playing time at QB would be doled out, and now via Mike Reiss, we have an idea.
Reiss reported that Jimmy Garoppolo will get the start, and Brady will come in as a backup.
It's without question the best move for the team, as Jimmy Garoppolo will be making his first NFL start in a couple of weeks, on the road, against a strong Arizona defense. He needs all the work he can get, and this is his best chance to simulate that experience before it really counts.
So, for all the mass hysteria about the Patriots and the quarterbacks, it seems as though they're doing the sensible thing. Letting Brady get in some playing time after Garoppolo gets the important experience is not the worst thing in the world.
5 p.m.: It's time for the almighty third preseason game, and hey, it's actually a pretty good matchup.
I think I can buy into this one.
Too often, the preseason is a dreadfully painful stretch of summer where a bunch of bottom-of-the-roster guys determine the outcome. But in the third preseason game, the starters get their best conditioning work of the preseason, and it darn near resembles a football game.
That's at least what's expected tonight, when the defending NFC champions host the (defending?) AFC runners-up. It's not a bad little matchup down in Charlotte.
While there is seemingly mass media hysteria regarding the playing time of the quarterbacks, that's not the only area to watch for the Patriots. For one, the offensive line is officially in the post-Sebastian Vollmer era, so the idea of Marcus Cannon as a fill-in is a thing of the past. His work will be analyzed greatly -- as will the work on the interior of the line. Bryan Stork is gone, and Jonathan Cooper is looking less and less likely to be a part of the team come Week 1. And they'll be tasked with stopping a fierce front-seven.
Elsewhere, the position battles are nearing their end. Will Tyler Gaffney do enough to make the team? Who's going to step up at wide receiver and seize a spot? Is Clay Harbor for real?
Defensively, it's possible we get our first glance of Barkevious Mingo in a Patriots uniform, which will be interesting at least. And overall, can the Patriots do a better job of containing Cam Newton than they did a couple of years ago?
You may recall this play, which was ridiculous:
Ideally, the Patriots aren't going to want to let that happen again.
Obviously, it's a big game -- well, as big as a game in August can be -- and we'll learn at least a little something about this Patriots team from it. Stick with the live blog from pregame through postgame for updates and analysis.
You can email Michael Hurley or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.
