The New England Patriots have traditionally had the Carolina Panthers’ number. Tom Brady and the Patriots have just been too good for too long to give Carolina any hope, though the teams aren’t without an interesting history. With Cam Newton now running the Panthers offense, things have started to shift, with the Panthers winning the teams’ most-recent matchup 24-20. The teams are now meeting less than one year since Carolina’s win, and Newton and Co. certainly hope to keep the tide rolling in their favor. Tonight’s Panthers / Patriots game isn’t being televised outside New England, but there are several ways to watch Panthers vs Patriots live online in their NFL preseason Week 3 game.
Last November Carolina won 24-20 on a last-minute touchdown by Ted Ginn Jr. The 25-yard play came with just 59 seconds left in the game and marked the Panthers’ sixth straight win.
That 2013 Panthers / Patriots game was essentially Newton’s coming-out party. The Panthers quarterback finished the game 19 of 28 for 209 yards and three touchdowns, with sports commentators nationwide finally saying he was among the NFL’s premier QBs.
Brady, the “other” quarterback on the field, marched the Patriots all the way down to the 18 yard line with just three seconds remaining before throwing an interception in the end zone as time expired.
Tonight’s Panthers vs Patriots game may be a preseason game, but there are still plenty of reasons to watch live online since the game in Gillette Stadium isn’t on national TV. For starters, Cam Newton will see more reps tonight as he tries to get familiar with his new receiving corps. Last week against the Kansas City Chiefs he started just 1-5, which is a large reason he’s scheduled to play the entire first half in tonight’s Patriots game.
Brady will also see extended minutes tonight, as he told reporters that coach Bill Belichick has informed the starters to expect a heavy workload. The Patriots’ backup QB battle between Jimmy Garoppolo and Ryan Mallet is still not settled, but with just one preseason game left, Brady and the starters will see more reps tonight, leaving the two backups to continue wondering about the pecking order.
When they do see reps, they and Brady will be without tight end Rob Gronkowski, who’s been participating in full 11-on-11 drills but isn’t expected to dress for tonight’s Panthers game. Pats wide receiver Aaron Dobson will also be sitting out.
Kickoff for tonight’s Panthers / Patriots game is 7:30pm EST. You can watch Panthers vs Patriots live online using the NFL Preseason Live service, which lets fans watch all out-of-market preseason NFL games for $19.99. If you’re an NFL Network subscriber, you can can also watch Cam Newton go up against Tom Brady via the NFL Online website. Just sign-in using your login info for your satellite or cable TV provider.