After a pair of encouraging performances against Washington and the Philadelphia Eagles in Weeks 1 and 2 of the preseason, the Patriots were trending upward as they prepared for Week 3. That optimism has come to a grinding halt after they failed to execute “in any three phases of the game,” as Belichick put it, on the road against the Carolina Panthers on Friday. The 25-14 score doesn’t tell the full story of how badly the Patriots played, as they had scored just three points before Stephen Gostkowski hit a second field goal with 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Mike Gillislee made a last minute bid for the roster spot that he and Jeremy Hill are both competing for with a two-yard touchdown run and subsequent two-point conversion in garbage time — but the majority of the game was ugly. Tom Brady played the entire first half, completing 12 of 18 pass attempts for 102 yards, but never found the end zone, nor did he lead a TD-scoring drive. As you can imagine, the team’s offensive performance overall didn’t sit well with the reigning NFL MVP. “I think any time you go on the road and play a good team you’ve got to make the plays. I think tonight’s a great example when you don’t and they do,” he told media after the game. “We didn’t do much in the first quarter and got behind. Then you fight uphill all night against a good team it’s tough to win.” While he expressed some confidence in wide receivers Phillip Dorsett and Cordarrelle Patterson, both of whom saw increased targets this week, Brady was predictably held up on the team’s inability to execute on 3rd and 4th downs and in the red zone. “I mean we had the ball for a minute in the first quarter and that’s a tough way to start, but you know, you’ve got to dig your way out of that hole,” said Brady. “We’re not out there to go out and punt or kick field goals. We’re out there to score points and hopefully score touchdowns. Our execution needs to be better. I mean you look back at a lot of the things I thought about in the second half, all the things that we could do: it’s a lot of us. It’s not so much what the other team is doing, although it’s a very good defense, our base execution needs to be better.” The Patriots will take on the Giants in New York for their final preseason game next Thursday, which will be the last opportunity for players to make the case that they belong on the 53-man roster. While the team is still far from it’s regular season form, and there are plenty of factors to consider in this week’s loss, it’s clear that the second-tier players on the Patriots offense are going to need to step it up before Week 1 of the preseason.<doc-sep>Streeter Lecka/Getty Images The Carolina Panthers held off a late rally from the New England Patriots to score a 25-14 preseason victory Friday night at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. Panthers quarterback Cam Newton completed 11 of his 17 attempts for 142 yards and rushed for 13 yards on two carries. Running back Christian McCaffrey also had a strong showing despite failing to find the end zone with 64 offensive yards on 14 touches. Patriots signal-caller Tom Brady was similarly efficient with 12 completions on 18 throws for 102 yards. New England's offense struggled to sustain drives, however, and didn't find the end zone until Mike Gillislee rushed in from two yards out with just under three minutes to play. McCaffrey Looks Primed to be Panthers' Workhorse McCaffrey, the eighth overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft, spent most of his rookie season operating in a timeshare with Jonathan Stewart. He finished first on the team with 80 catches but ranked third in carries with 117 behind Stewart (198) and Newton (139). Video Play Button Videos you might like Carolina did sign former Denver Broncos starter C.J. Anderson to serve as a veteran backup, but all indicators suggest the team is ready to give the Stanford product the uncontested feature role. Field Yates of ESPN commented on the rusher's heavy workload: The Panthers offense is a potential nightmare for opposing defenses when Newton and McCaffrey, who are both multifaceted weapons, are operating in the backfield together. The matchup problems they can create give the coaching staff every reason to give the second-year back as many snaps as possible. Based on Friday's performance, it appears they're planning to do exactly that, which is good news for the Carolina offensive game plan and fantasy football owners who invested in him. Patriots RB Depth Struggles in Burkhead, Michel's Absence New England is working to settle its backfield depth chart, a task made tougher by the absences of Rex Burkhead and rookie Sony Michel because of knee injuries. Gillislee and Jeremy Hill did little to inspire confidence Friday. Although Gillislee scored the Pats' only touchdown, he finished the contest with just 35 yards on 10 carries and had one catch for six yards. His lack of elusiveness remains an issue, giving him little value beyond pounding the ball between the tackles on early downs. Mike Loyko of the Boston Sports Journal remarked on the former Buffalo Bills back's outing: Meanwhile, Hill finished the contest with nine attempts for 25 yards. He averaged a lackluster 3.1 yards per carry in 2017 during his final season with the Cincinnati Bengals and hasn't shown much burst since signing with the Patriots. James White made two catches for 17 yards and should remain in the mix on third down. Patterson Fantasy Sleeper in Thin Patriots WR Core Cordarrelle Patterson could emerge as a valuable fantasy commodity with the Patriots seeking to replace top target Julian Edelman, who will open the regular season serving a four-game suspension. Patterson flashed his playmaking ability across four seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and one with the Oakland Raiders but never developed into a consistent threat. New England will hope to catch lightning in the bottle during the early stages of the season. Zack Cox of NESN is bullish on the South Carolina native: He's worth sliding up the draft board a round or two based on his five catches for 37 yards against the Panthers. He led the team with nine targets, four more than any other player. Patterson's up-and-down track record will make him a trade candidate in fantasy circles once Edelman nears his return, but he could provide a nice boost early on for a reasonable draft-day price. What's Next? Both teams close out the preseason on the road next Thursday night. The Patriots travel to MetLife Stadium to face off with the New York Giants, while the Panthers will visit Heinz Field for a matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Any starters who see the field in those contests are likely only going to play a series or two before giving way to players battling for the final roster spots.<doc-sep>
Here are the winners and losers from the New England Patriots’ 25-14 loss to the Carolina Panthers in the third week of the preseason. Winners Phillip Dorsett, WR: Not only did he finish the game with four receptions for 36 yards, but he also managed a fourth-down conversion with a 6-yard reception. It looked like he has developed a nice rapport with Tom Brady during training camp. Tom Brady, QB: He finished the game with another efficient performance, just like last week against the Eagles. Brady was 12 of 18 for 108 yards. But unlike last week, Brady didn’t get into the end zone. On his second drive, Brady looked away from Rob Gronkowski right before this happened. Rob Gronkowski, TE: He played in the preseason, got open in the red zone (even if Brady didn’t see him), and then got out of the game healthy. Ja’Whaun Bentley, LB: The rookie had an big workload, taking the field with the starters in the first half and, at times, with depth players in the second half. He also called plays during the second half. He finished with five tackles. He continued to make a positive charge for a starting role. Losers Jason McCourty, CB: Just like Bill Belichick did with Jason’s twin, Devin, Belichick experimented with Jason at safety, despite his natural position being cornerback before joining the Patriots. Devin made the move in his second season with the Patriots,and proved to be a great fit. Jason is making the change many years into his career. The switch to safety may not be a compliment — Belichick may be trying to salvage Jason’s career because he doesn’t think he’s got the juice to play corner. Jason’s transition was not smooth. On his first series, he allowed a 31-yard pass to Curtis Samuel. He made up for it (slightly) by logging a touchdown-saving tackle for loss on a run by Cameron Artis-Payne. Julian Edelman, WR: He had an elusive run on a wide-receiver screen, but also had a pair of drops, one of which came on third down. He finished with three receptions for 23 yards. Trent Brown, LT: On the opening drive, Brady misfired twice — in part because Panthers defensive end Mario Addison toasted Brown off the line twice. Brown was solid for the first two weeks. His third game with the Patriots was a bit shakier. That said, he followed those tough snaps by helping create space for two carries behind him for 20 yards at the start of the next drive. Cam Newton, QB, Panthers: Not only did he land on his head, but he returned to the game afterward. Don’t dive headfirst. It’s preseason. Don’t bother coming back into the game after a scare like that. Again, it’s preseason. Multiple angles of Cam appearing to give himself a concussion pic.twitter.com/8vwYQLF2ja — Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) August 24, 2018 Mike Gillislee, RB: Neither he nor Jeremy Hill could find running room on Friday night. But Hill has proven reliable through the preseason. Gillislee has a continued legacy of averaging three yards per carry. He managed 3.5 against the Panthers with 35 yards and a touchdown. It doesn’t seem like he’s done enough to make the roster. Hill seems like the guy, so long as the ankle injury he suffered on Friday isn’t serious.