The New England Patriots will stay at Gillette Stadium in Week 4 in an attempt to earn the first home win of the Mike Vrabel era and improve to 2-2 on the season. Standing in their way is a team also entering
the game with a 1-2 record, the Carolina Panthers.
Let’s get to meet them.
Panthers key stats
The one-win Panthers have a middle-of-the-road record. A look at the numbers shows that they are also a middle-of-the-road team from a statistical perspective, but one that has played some good football in certain areas.
Record: 1-2 (2nd NFC South)
Scoring differential: +9 (15th)
Turnover differential: -1 (20th)
Offense: 20.7 points/game (19th), 277.0 yards/game (24th), 6 giveaways (t-29th), -0.009 EPA/dropback (24th), -0.080 EPA/run (15th)
Defense: 17.7 points/game (8th), 334.3 yards/game (21st), 5 takeaways (t-4th), -0.105 EPA/dropback (4th), 0.007 EPA/run (24th)
Even though the Panthers just hung 30 points on the Atlanta Falcons, their offense has been nothing special so far (in part because seven of those points were provided by the defense). The unit is in the red in expected points added both in the passing and the running game, and has been among the NFL’s worst when it comes to ball security: six turnovers — three interceptions plus three fumbles — are tied for second-most in the league with Dallas and New England.
The defense, on the other hand, has been quite opportunistic and almost played a “bend but don’t break” style the Patriots employed for years. While Carolina has given up plenty of yards, the team ranks in the top 10 in takeaways, EPA per dropback and, most importantly, points.
Panthers 2025 season
For a second straight year under head coach Dave Canales, the Panthers opened with a 1-2 record. They stumbled right out of the gate, suffering lopsided defeats at the hands of Jacksonville and Arizona (the second game was still a 12-point affair inside the two-minute warning).
- Week 1: 26-10 loss at Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)
- Week 2: 27-22 loss at Arizona Cardinals (0-2)
- Week 3: 30-0 win vs. Atlanta Falcons (1-2)
After their issues early on, the Panthers bounced back big-time versus the Falcons. Carried by a defense that registered three takeaways including one pick-six, the team managed to dominate Atlanta from start to finish. Sure, the Falcons are not necessarily the definition of a quality opponent, but the W was still one that could possibly build some momentum for Carolina moving forward.
Panthers active roster
(Note: Roster up-to-date as of Sept. 24, 5 a.m. ET; *indicates projected starter)
Quarterback (2): Bryce Young* (9), Andy Dalton (14)
Running back (3): Chuba Hubbard* (30), Rico Dowdle (5), Trevor Etienne (23 | PR/KR)
Wide receiver (7): Tetairoa McMillan* (4), Hunter Renfrow* (13), Xavier Legette* (17), David Moore (83), Brycen Tremayne (87), Jimmy Horn Jr. (15), Dalevon Campbell (81)
Tight end (4): Ja’Tavion Sanders (0), Tommy Tremble* (82), Mitchell Evans (84), James Mitchell (85)
Offensive tackle (4): Ikem Ekwonu* (79 | LT), Tylor Moton* (72 | RT), Yosh Nijman (77), Brady Christensen (70)
Interior offensive line (4): Damien Lewis* (68 | LG), Cade Mays* (64 | C), Chandler Zavala* (62 | RG), Nick Samac (60)
Interior defensive line (6): Derrick Brown* (95), A’Shawn Robinson* (94), Bobby Brown III (97), Jaden Crumedy (96), Tershawn Wharton (99), Cam Jackson (92)
Defensive edge (6): D.J. Wonnum* (98), Patrick Jones II* (91), Nic Scourton (11), Princely Umanmielen (3), D.J. Johnson (52), Thomas Incoom (48)
Linebacker (5): Christian Rozeboom* (56), Trevin Wallace* (32), Claudin Cherelus (53), Bam Martin-Scott (57), Maema Njongmeta (55)
Cornerback (5): Jaycee Horn* (8), Mike Jackson* (2), Chau Smith-Wade* (26), Corey Thornton (31), Akayleb Evans (29)
Safety (4): Tre’von Moehrig* (7), Nick Scott* (21), Lathan Ransom (22), Demani Richardson (36)
Specialists (3): Ryan Fitzgerald (10 | K), Sam Martin (6 | P/H), J.J. Jansen (44 | LS)
The Panthers are entering Week 4 with some injury questions, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Besides having lost two starting offensive linemen earlier this month — more on them below — they will also be without their No. 1 tight end, Ja’Tavion Sanders, and possibly miss starting perimeter receiver Xavier Legette for a second week in a row.
Similar to the Patriots’ roster, the Panthers’ is not particularly well equipped to handle losses like those. This, in turn, will put more pressure on quarterback Bryce Young and the available players around him.
Speaking of Young, he has been up and down so far. In three games so far, he completed 69 of 114 pass attempts (60.5%) for 603 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions. His EPA per play of -0.009 is ranked just 24th in the NFL. That said, his connection with rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan has shown some promise; the pair has hooked up 14 times for 216 yards, an average of 15.4 yards per catch.
McMillan is the Panthers’ primary weapon in the passing game. In the run game, that player is Chuba Hubbard, who has carried the ball 43 times for 168 yards so far (3.9 yards/run).
On the other side of the ball, cornerback Jaycee Horn is the most notable player. One of the better cornerbacks in football and the recipient of a four-year, $100 million extension in March, he is the team’s CB1 and one of five players registering turnovers so far — a title he shares with fellow CBs Mike Jackson and Chau Smith-Wade, ED D.J. Wonnum, and S Demani Richardson.
The pass rush, meanwhile, has been far less diverse. Wonnum and A’Shawn Robinson lead the team with nine pressures each, but only one player — Princely Umanmielen in Week 2 — has been able to register a sack this year.
Panthers reserves
Practice squad (16): QB Hendon Hooker (12), RB DeeJay Dallas (20), WR Dan Chisena (88), WR Ja’seem Reed (86), WR Ainias Smith (80), TE Bryce Pierre (45), OT Michael Tarquin (71), OT Brandon Walton (73), OL Jarrett Kingston (71) DT Jared Harrison-Hunte (75), ED Boogie Basham (54), LB Krys Barnes (40), CB Kalen King (25), CB Michael Reid (35), S Israel Mukuamu (27), S Trevian Thomas (42)
Practice squad exempt (1): LB Mapalo Mwansa (58)
Injured reserve (6): WR Jalen Coker, OL Austin Corbett, OL Robert Hunt, DT Popo Aumavae, DT LaBryan Ray, CB Damarri Mathis
Physically unable to perform (1): RB Jonathon Brooks
The big names among the Panthers’ reserves both find themselves on IR. Starting center Austin Corbett and starting right guard Robert Hunt were both sent there after Week 2. Corbett suffered a torn MCL in the same knee he already hurt in 2022 and 2023, while Hunt tore his left biceps. The pair has since been replaced in the starting lineup by Cade Mays and Chandler Zavala.
Panthers coaching staff
Head coach: Dave Canales
Coordinators: Brad Idzik (OC), Ejiro Evero (DC), Tracy Smith (STC)
The Panthers are in their second season under Dave Canales and have yet to reach .500 at any point in his tenure: the team started 1-2 last year as well before stumbling through the rest of the season en route to a 5-12 record. This year, Canales and company are also 1-2.
On offense, Canales and Brad Idzik are running a West Coast-style attack. Defensively, coordinator Ejiro Evero is using 3-4 principles, that are applied in a hybrid 4-2/2-4 setting with an emphasis on zone coverage.
