The New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers have half of football on the books.
While the score of this exhibition is ultimately meaningless, New England prevailed at halftime, which was to be expected since – unlike Carolina – they rolled out the majority of their starters. Mac Jones and the first-team Patriots offense got off to a sluggish start, jabbing on their first two drives, but found a grove in the second quarter. There they put together an 81-yard, 10-play drive that culminated in a rushing score from Ty Montgomery. That was the end of the night for Jones, who finished 4 of 8 and rushed for 61 yards.
Meanwhile, the Panthers held off most of their starters, leaving offense to PJ Walker and rookie Matt Corral. This duo rotated between quarters as they battled for third place in Carolina’s 53-man opening list. One Panther who will feature in Week 1 and played on Friday was first-round tackle Ikem Ekwonu, although it wasn’t a particularly strong performance as he gave up two sacks.
As the action continues to unfold, stay tuned to this head-to-head with our live blog below. There you’ll find instant highlights and expert analysis throughout the evening.
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Date: Friday 19 August | Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, MA)
TV: NFL Network | Electricity: FuboTV+ (click here)
Consequences: CBS Sports App
opportunities: Patriots -6.5, O/U 38.5