Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
7 takeaways from Patriots’ 42-13 win over Panthers
A dominant performance on special teams from Marcus Jones helped set the stage for a blowout on Sunday in Foxborough.
The New England Patriots bounced back in a major way on Sunday afternoon — getting back to .500 on the year by way of a 42-13 win over the Carolina Panthers.
It was the first time in a long time that New England routinely executed in several facets of the game, with Marcus Jones, Drake Maye, Stefon Diggs, and Christian Barmore among those who dominated in their respective areas of the game on Sunday.
Here are seven takeaways from Sunday’s blowout victory.
Patriots take care of business
It’d be tough to call a Week 4 matchup — especially against a lackluster Carolina team — a “must-win” for Mike Vrabel and the Patriots.
Advertisement:
But, fresh off a frustrating, five-turnover loss to the Steelers in Week 3 — and a daunting primetime matchup against Josh Allen and the Bills next Sunday — New England couldn’t afford another letdown at home against Carolina.
It didn’t take very long for those fears of a 1-3 start to be dispelled, as an 87-yard punt return touchdown from Marcus Jones set the tone for what ended as a 42-13 blowout victory for New England.
It was a much-needed result for a rebuilding Patriots team that needs to start stacking some momentum, with Sunday standing as the first time that New England had surpassed 40 points in a game since Jan. 2, 2022.
Advertisement:
Be it Jones’ dynamic play on special teams, a turnover-free showing on offense, Maye (three total touchdowns, 155.6 QB rating) continuing to ascend, or New England’s defense dominating after a sleepy start, there were plenty of positives that Vrabel and his staff can build on moving forward.
For the first time in quite some time, it looks as though New England has some momentum that can carry over with Maye in command of the offense and the Patriots’ defense starting to gel.
All of the sudden, New England’s matchup next week against the Bills is looking pretty intriguing — rather than the laugher that some Patriots fans were bracing for after last week.
Marcus Jones gives Patriots a spark
It was an ominous start for the Patriots on Sunday, with New England’s defense coughing up a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive on their first series. Even with Carolina’s banged-up offensive unit, Bryce Young completed 4-of-4 throws for 48 yards and a touchdown to Tommy Tremble, while the Panthers gained chunk yardage on the ground.
Further compounding New England’s woes was the team’s first offensive series, with Maye nearly throwing an interception in what was a 3-and-out sequence.
Advertisement:
With New England in desperate need of a wake-up call, it was Jones who delivered on special teams.
After New England forced a punt, Jones made the Panthers pay — shedding a pair of tackles near the Patriots’ own 10-yard line before turning on the jets and racing down the field for an 87-yard touchdown.
Jones now joins Julian Edelman (4), Troy Brown (3), Irving Fryar (3) and Mike Haynes (2) as the only Patriots players with more than one punt returned for a touchdown.
That punt-return score swung momentum back in New England’s favor. After New England’s defense forced another punt, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels went in his bag on his team’s next drive.
In a six-play, 80-yard drive that included a tight-end screen to Austin Hooper (24 yards), an end-around run from Antonio Gibson (21 yards), a schemed run for Rhamondre Stevenson (22 yards), Maye capped the sequence for a 5-yard touchdown run, making it a 14-6 lead at the time.
Jones gave New England another jolt in the closing minutes of the second quarter.
The 26-year-old cornerback nearly found the end zone again on another punt-return bid — gaining 61 yards before getting taken down on Carolina’s 14-yard line by punter Sam Martin.
Even if Jones couldn’t find the end zone for the second time on Sunday afternoon, he helped set up another touchdown for his teammates, as Gibson ran it in from one yard out to make it a 28-6 game going into halftime.
Advertisement:
New England has plenty of positives to lean on in this game, but a lot of New England’s lopsided lead in the first half was a direct result of Jones’ playmaking on special teams.
Jones finished the game setting a new Patriots single-game record with 167 punt-return yards.
Maye, Diggs show out in impressive offensive showing
Jones might have been the star on Sunday, but it was a nice bounce-back showing from Maye and a Patriots offense that capitalized on several prime scoring bids against Carolina — something that was in short supply the following week against the Panthers.
Maye (14-of-17, 214 total yards, three total TDs) was efficient under center for New England on Sunday, while some strong play on the ground — coupled with both stout run blocking and plenty of scheming from McDaniels — allowed New England to regularly gain chunk yardage in the trenches.
Along with Maye’s 5-yard scamper for a touchdown in the second quarter, both TreVeyon Henderson and Gibson also found the end zone on rushing scores.
Sunday was also a welcome sight for New England’s receiver corps. After New England failed to have a Patriots wideout surpass 40 yards in both of New England’s last two games, Diggs broke out with six catches for 101 yards.
New England managed to spread the wealth on Sunday, with six different players recording a touchdown against the Panthers. The last time New England accomplished that in a game was in Week 2 of the 2019 season against the Dolphins.
For all of the concerns over New England’s offense when it comes to the team’s lack of explosive capabilities, the Patriots generated seven plays that went for over 20 yards on Sunday — with the team ending the day averaging 6.4 yards per play.
Advertisement:
It’s also worth noting that New England’s offensive line has continued to stabilize, with Will Campbell and left guard Ben Brown (stepping in for an injured Jared Wilson) both keeping Maye off the ground and opening up run lanes all afternoon.
The most important stat of the day for the Patriots? Zero turnovers. They’ll welcome that after coughing up the ball five times in Week 3 against the Steelers.
New England’s defense is starting to round into form
It might be a dangerous game to draw too many sweeping conclusions on Sunday in a matchup against a lackluster Carolina offensive unit.
But, after New England’s defense tightened up their game in Week 3 against the Steelers, they submitted another strong performance on Sunday afternoon against the Panthers.
Beyond that opening drive where Carolina exploited New England’s linebacker corps with some short-yardage throws and sweeps to the outside, Bryce Young and the Panthers weren’t able to generate all that much on Sunday.
After Carolina’s opening score and before an extended drive against New England’s backups at the end of the fourth quarter, Carolina generated just 10 total first downs over eight total drives.
Even though New England was only credited with one sack against Young on Sunday, the Patriots regularly made life miserable for Carolina in the trenches — with both Milton Williams and Christian Barmore routinely wreaking havoc down low.
Jack Gibbens also made the most of his elevated reps on Sunday, with the linebacker finishing the game with 10 total tackles — including one tackle for loss.
Christian Gonzalez returns
After missing the last three weeks with a hamstring injury suffered during training camp, All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez made his return to the field on Sunday.
Advertisement:
Gonzalez — who established himself as one of the top cover corners in the league last season — didn’t exactly face the most dynamic receiving corps in the league on Sunday, especially with players like Xavier Legette, Jalen Coker, and Ja’Tavion Sanders ruled out due to injury.
But, it did allow the 23-year-old corner to get his feet wet after an extended time off. While Gonzalez allowed a few catches to Panthers 2025 first-round pick Tetairoa McMillan, it still stands as a major plus that New England’s top defensive player is back out on the gridiron.
Rhamondre Stevenson gets the start
Despite fumbling the ball twice during last week’s frustrating loss to the Steelers, Vrabel noted on Friday that there would be no discipline levied against the veteran back entering Week 4.
“If you’re asking me if Rhamondre is on some sort of discipline, no,” the Patriots head coach said. “The discipline is we need our best players to play in a game and do their job and take care of football. And we all have to do that. Drake [Maye] had an interception and a fumble [against the Steelers]. We’re not going to play Josh [Dobbs] right now.”
Sure enough, New England stuck by its running back on Sunday — with Stevenson getting the starting nod against the Panthers.
Even though it was both Henderson and Gibson who scored touchdowns on Sunday, Stevenson was not iced out of New England’s gameplan — finishing the game with 41 total yards.
Patriots show support for Terrell Williams
Beyond New England’s stout showing on defense on Sunday, the Patriots found another way to support defensive coordinator Terrell Williams during his battle with cancer.
Advertisement:
During warmups, all of the Patriots players were spotted wearing “T Strong” t-shirts in tribute to Williams, who was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Vrabel announced Williams’ cancer diagnosis on Friday, with inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr continuing to call plays for New England’s defense while Williams receives treatment.
“When you do this, you’ve got to have people that you trust implicitly, that are loyal, and he’s been that,” Vrabel said of Williams on Friday. “When you get into a (expletive) storm, like you do during the season, and things, teams and rosters – he has an ability again to reach everybody. He always kept me in perspective.
“Very few people – was always willing to share his thoughts with me if I needed a guardrail. So, again, going through this thing for the first time and having guys like him with me, I’m very conscious of their ability to help me do my job and to help the team.”
———
LIVE UPDATES
3:59: Final: Patriots beat the Panthers, 42-13.
3:51: Andy Dalton hits Evans for another touchdown, but this one is all but over.
It’s 42-13 with 1:56 left in the game.
3:39: Drake Maye’s afternoon is done. Joshua Dobbs is in the game for the remainder of the fourth quarter.
3:29: TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS: Drake Maye hits Mack Hollins for a 4-yard touchdown.
It’s 42-6 Patriots.
3:24: Patriots stay aggressive on a 4th and 3 play — and Stefon Diggs reels in a 30-yard catch from Maye.
Advertisement:
Diggs has six receptions for 101 yards.
3:21: Another Carolina punt. Patriots are already up big, but they can twist the knife here on this drive — which is starting at Carolina’s 41.
3:16: Patriots punt, but a great boot from Baringer and a miscue has Carolina starting this drive at the 1-yard line.
3:10: Panthers are able to string together a few first downs, but their drive stalls out after a fourth-down throw from Bryce Young sails high on McMillan.
New England taking over at Carolina’s 35-yard line.
2:59: TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS. New England’s offense is rolling, as the team opens the second half with an 8-play, 88-yard drive that ends with a 31-yard touchdown throw from Maye to Hunter Henry.
It’s 35-6 Patriots with 10:17 left in the first half.
2:31: HALFTIME: Patriots up 28-6.
2:24: TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS. Antonio Gibson converts on a 1-yard touchdown run.
It’s a 28-6 Patriots lead with 1:57 left in the first half.
2:19: Marcus Jones came thiiiiiiiiis close to another punt-return TD — as he returns this one 61 yards before getting taken down by Panthers punter Sam Martin at Carolina’s 14-yard line.
2:10: TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS. TreVeyon Henderson finds the end zone on a 5-yard run for his first career NFL touchdown.
It’s 21-6 Patriots with 5:48 left in the first half.
2:04: Maye hits Diggs for 33 yards on an crosser. That’s the type of big play Patriots fans were hoping to see from the veteran wideout.
1:57: Chaisson comes up big with an 11-yard sack — eventually stalling a Carolina drive on the 37-yard line.
Carlton Davis is getting treated on the field after colliding with Craig Woodson on a potential interception. He’s slowly making his way off the field.
Advertisement:
A 53-yard field goal is no good. Still 14-6.
1:48: TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS. Drake Maye takes it himself and runs it in from 5-yards out.
That’s a 6-play, 80-yard drive for New England.
It’s 14-6 Patriots.
1:45: End First: Patriots up, 7-6, and now driving on Carolina’ 5-yard line. Patriots gained about 60 yards off three plays.
1:43: The Patriots have their first first down of the game with 2:30 left in the first. 24-yard pickup to Austin Hooper.
1:41: Nice play by Jack Gibbens to shoot up the gut and record a tackle for loss. Gibbens has taken over as a starting linebacker for Christian Eliss.
1:28: TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS. Marcus Jones reels off an 88-yard punt return. That’s the spark the Patriots needed.
1:28: Nice response by the Patriots to force a punt.
1:24: A classy move by the Patriots to honor Terrell Williams, who is battling prostate cancer.
1:20: Rhamondre Stevenson got the start for New England. No surprise that the Panthers were keeping him upright and trying to rip the ball away from him.
1:19: A very dangerous throw from Maye to Boutte on 3rd down is nearly picked. Patriots punting.
1:12: A brutal start for New England’s defense ends with Bryce Young hitting Tremple in the end zone for a touchdown. Carolina goes down the field in 7 plays for 72 yards.
Extra point is no good. Carolina up, 6-0.
1:05: Panthers WR David Moore gains 12 on a jet sweep, but then has to be carted off with an injury. A brutal development for an already-banged up Carolina offensive unit.
1:00: Patriots win the coin toss. They defer to the second half.
Advertisement:
12:58: Mark Wahlberg and the Celtics are the “Keepers of the Light” before tonight’s game.
12:31: Jaylen Brown sighting at Gillette Stadium:
12:22: With Jared Wilson sidelined, it looks like Ben Brown will slot in at left guard for today’s game.
12:10: Warmups are underway:
11:30: Patriots inactives are here. Jared Wilson is sidelined, as Vrabel noted on Friday. Efton Chism once again is inactive, so it will be another game with DeMario Douglas in the slot.
Most importantly, Christian Gonzalez is active and ready to roll after missing the first three games of the season.
11:20: Several Patriots players are wearing shirts for defensive coordinator Terrell Williams, who is battling prostate cancer.
11:15: Greetings from Gillette Stadium!
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com