It’s that time of year again, folks. The Carolina Panthers are hot in the middle of a one-game winning streak with a favorable couple of Weeks ahead of them on their schedule. First up are the New England Patriots. To get the inside scoop on who the 2025 Pats are and why they might be able to stop the Panthers in the middle of one of the most dominant stretches of play in football, I interviewed Taylor Kyles over at Pats Pulpit.
Spoiler alert: Kyles thinks the Pats, behind Drake Maye’s veteran leadership,
are going to top the Panthers and their secret weapon, Ryan Fitzgerald.
Let’s start with the big question of the week. What do we expect from Christian Gonalez?
Christian Gonzalez was held out last week as a precaution, but Mike Vrabel says he’s ramping up to play (potentially). Gonzalez suffered a hamstring injury early in training camp and only began practicing last week, so he might need time to shake off the rust. That said, he’s an excellent athlete with great instincts and plenty of confidence.
Hunter Henry and Rhamondre Stevenson seem to be two of Drake Mayes favorite targets. Considering almost half of Maye’s passing yards have come after the catch, is it safe to say that the Patriots don’t exactly have a downfield passing attack?
Oddly enough, it’s actually the opposite. The Patriots lack consistent YAC threats outside of their backfield, and while DeMario Douglas has the ability, he and Drake Maye have struggled to build chemistry. Josh McDaniels has done an excellent job scheming downfield opportunities for Maye, particularly toward Hunter Henry. Still, spotty protection and missed opportunities have left a lot of meat on the bone.
How do Pats fans feel about Maye? Are they sold on him as the long term answer at QB or are they ready to move on?
I think it’s safe to say Drake Maye has been everything Patriots fans hoped for. He struggles with spots of wild inaccuracy and puts himself in bad spots by trying to do too much, but those are largely forgivable for a 23-year-old who started just two seasons in college. Maye’s decision-making and discipline as a scrambler have shown significant improvement since the offseason, and he’s a perfect fit for Josh McDaniels’ adjustment-heavy offense. For a young player, Maye does an incredible job of reading space and leverage while using his eyes to manipulate defenders. Maye locks onto Hunter Henry at times, which contributes to some of the aforementioned missed opportunities, but it’s hard to blame him given the tight end’s consistency. In summary, while he’s still got plenty of room to grow, Maye’s commitment and trajectory have been impressive to watch.
Aside from Gonzalez, which defender’s name are we expecting to hear called on Sunday?
The Patriots’ investment in their defensive front is paying off early, so it’s tough to name one standout. Their pressure numbers have been skewed by quarterbacks throwing quickly, but they’re an opportunistic, veteran group that’s been disruptive against both run and pass. Milton Williams is playing like one of the NFL’s best interior defenders. Harold Landry and K’Lavon Chaisson have made key plays despite seeing consistent chips. Christian Barmore hasn’t returned to his 2023 form after missing most of last season due to blood clots, but he’s a handful and has great instincts. Khyiris Tonga has also outplayed his contract as a rotational player who makes plays on the vast majority of snaps.
Let’s go for a simple win prediction. Who’s walking away on Sunday with the W?
I’m predicting a Patriots win. If the offense protects the football and establishes some semblance of a run game, they should have success attacking the middle through the air. I also think the Panthers’ offense will struggle to move the ball against the Patriots’ defense at full strength. All that said, field position will be a big factor, and New England is well aware of Ryan Fitzgerald’s dirty kicks.
