NFL Preseason 2016: What You Need to Know About Patriots vs. Panthers

Information in this article was provided by Patriots Media Relations.

After opening the preseason at home for the first two weeks, the Patriots will close out the 2016 preseason on the road for the final two weeks, starting with a visit to the defending NFC Champion Carolina Panthers. It will be the third straight year the two teams will be meeting in the preseason.

The Patriots are off to a 2-0 start and will be looking to begin the preseason with a 3-0 record for the first time since finishing the preseason a perfect 4-0 in 2003.

The 2016 season marked the fifth straight year that the Patriots will held joint practice sessions. The Patriots hosted the Saints for two days of joint practice sessions prior to their 34-22 victory at Gillette Stadium on Thurs, Aug. 11. Last week, the Patriots hosted Chicago for three days of joint practices prior to their 23-22 win.

The Patriots will close the preseason on Thu., Sept. 1 when they travel to play the New York Giants.

Kickoff

The game is scheduled for Aug. 26 and starts at 7:30 p.m.

Broadcast Information

TELEVISION: This week’s game will be shown locally on WBZ-TV CBS. Dan Roche and former Patriots tight end Christian Fauria will be in the broadcast booth, former Patriots linebacker Matt Chatham and Steve Burton will provide sideline analysis, and Patriots Football Weekly’s beatwriters Paul Perillo and Andy Hart will also provide insight and analysis.

RADIO: WBZ-FM 98.5 The Sports Hub is the official radio station of the New England Patriots. Bob Socci will call the game along side Scott Zolak.

Series History

The New England Patriots and the Carolina Panthers will meet for the third consecutive season in the preseason and for the ninth time in the preseason overall, when the Patriots travel to Carolina this week. In 2014, the Patriots hosted the Panthers at Gillette Stadium on Aug. 22 and pulled out a 30-7 victory. Last season, the Patriots traveled to Carolina on Aug. 28 and pulled out a 17-16 preseason victory.

The teams last played in the regular season in 2013 in a competitive Monday Night Football contest on Nov. 18, 2013, when a Tom Brady pass to TE Rob Gronkowski fell incomplete on the last play of the game to give Carolina a 24-20 win at Bank of America Stadium.
New England leads the preseason matchups with a 6-2 advantage in the
eight preseason games.
Carolina holds the edge in the regular season with a 3-2 margin.

The Patriots and Panthers met in Super Bowl XXXVIII on Feb. 2, 2004. The Patriots-Panthers Super Bowl is widely believed to be among the most entertaining Super Bowls ever played, as the Panthers took a fourth-quarter lead only to see the Patriots came up with a game-winning field goal in the final seconds to clinch the see-saw battle.

Connections

NEW ENGLAND TIES

• Carolina DE Ryan Delaire is a native of Windsor, Conn. and attended Windsor High School.
• Panthers LB Luke Kuechly attended Boston College and played in 38 games with 37 starts. He finished his career with an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and school-record 532 tackles, 35.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, seven interceptions and 10 passes defensed.
• Carolina CB Robert McClain attended the University of Connecticut where he played in 46 games with 18 starts and recorded 129 tackles, one sack, 10 interceptions, 14 passes defensed, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
• Panthers TE Scott Simonson attended Assumption College in Worcester, Mass. and played in 36 games with 31 starts while totaling 104 receptions for 1,537 yards and 15 touchdowns. Simonson was a first-team All-Northeast-10 Conference selection as a senior in 2013.
• Assistant strength and conditioning coach Jason Benguche played offensive line for Springfield College from 2002-05 and earned Division II/III All-New England honors from the New England Football Writers Division as a senior. He went on to coach at UMass in 2005.
• Linebackers coach Al Holcomb worked as linebackers coach, assistant track coach and physical education instructor at Maine’s Colby College in 1997.

CAROLINA TIES

• Patriots QB Jacoby Brissett, OL Joe Thuney and DL Markus Kuhn played at North Carolina State.
• Patriots G Jonathan Cooper played at North Carolina and is originally from Wilmington, N.C.
• TE Bryce Williams played at East Carolina and is originally from Winston-Salem, N.C.

FORMER PATRIOTS

• DT Kyle Love was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by New England in 2010 and played for the Patriots until 2012. In 2011, Love appeared in 16 games and made 13 starts while posting 55 tackles, three sacks, five quarterback pressures and one fumble recovery. In 2012, Love played in 16 games with 11 starts for New England and compiled 40 tackles, 1.5 sacks and one quarterback pressure.

FORMER PANTHERS

• DL Frank Kearse played for Carolina from 2011-12 appearing in 14 games and making eight starts over the course of the two seasons.

FORMER NFL TEAMMATES

• Panthers head coach Ron Rivera was the defensive quality control coach for the Bears when Patriots running backs coach Ivan Fears coached the receivers in Chicago.
• Carolina offensive coordinator Mike Shula coached in Chicago when Patriots running backs coach Ivan Fears worked for the Bears.
• Panthers linebackers coach Al Holcomb worked in New York when Patriots TE Martellus Bennett and DL Markus Kuhn played for the Giants.
• Carolina assistant wide receivers coach Cameron Turner worked with Patriots defensive line coach Brendan Daly at the Minnesota Vikings.
• Panthers S Marcus Ball and Patriots LB Rufus Johnson were defensive teammates at the New Orleans Saints.
• Panthers LB Ben Jacobs played with Patriots DL Jabaal Sheard at the Cleveland Browns.
• Panthers CB Robert McClain was defensive teammates with Patriots DT Terrance Knighton at the Jacksonville Jaguars.
• Panthers T Michael Oher and Patriots WR Nate Washington played together at the Tennessee Titans.
• Panthers S Trenton Robinson was defensive teammates with Patriots CB E.J. Biggers, DL Anthony Johnson, DL Frank Kearse, and DT Terrance Knighton at the Washington Redskins.
• Carolina G Chris Scott and Patriots WR Chris Hogan were offensive teammates at the Buffalo Bills.
• Panthers DT Paul Soliai played for the Dolphins when LB Jonathan Freeny and DE Rob Ninkovich played in Miami
• Panthers DT Robert Thomas played with Patriots S Cedric Thompson at the Miami Dolphins as well as with CB E.J. Biggers and DL Frank Kearse at the Washington Redskins.
• Panthers RB Fozzy Whittaker was teammates with Patriots RB Dion Lewis, OL Keavon Milton and DL Jabaal Sheard at the Cleveland Browns.
• Panthers CB Teddy Williams played with Patriots TE Martellus Bennett in Dallas and Chicago. He also played with LB Shea McClellin at the Bears.

FORMER COLLEGE TEAMMATES

• Patriots TE AJ Derby and DL Trey Flowers played with DT Robert Thomas at Arkansas.
• Patriots WR Chris Harper and Panthers T Jordan Rigsbee were teammates at California from 2012-14.
• Patriots WR Aaron Dobson and DB Darryl Roberts were teammates with Panthers FB Devon Johnson at Marshall.
• Patriots RB Brandon Bolden and Panthers T Michael Oher were teammates at Mississippi State in 2008.
• Patriots G Jonathan Cooper and Panthers S Tre Boston played together at North Carolina from 2010-12.
• Patriots DB Nate Ebner played with Panthers WR Philly Brown, S Kurt Coleman and G Andrew Norwell at Ohio State.
• Patriots RB LeGarrette Blount and Panthers TE Ed Dickson were teammates at Oregon for the 2008-09 seasons.
• Patriots S Patrick Chung played with Panthers TE Ed Dickson and RB Jonathan Stewart at Oregon.
• Patriots OL Cameron Fleming and RB Tyler Gaffney played with Panthers C Matt Masifilo and G David Yankey at Stanford.