Are you excited to watch the Carolina Panthers in action for the first time in 2024? Well, you are in luck because the Panthers open Week 1 of the NFL preseason during Thursday Night Football against the New England Patriots. Granted, most of the stars will either not play at all or see very limited action, but there is football nonetheless.
Here is everything you need to know surrounding the Panthers vs. Patriots Week 1 preseason game, including the channel, start time, live stream options, and more.
Carolina Panthers at New England Patriots
- Start time: Thursday, August 8, 2024, 7 p.m. ET
- Channel: NFL Network
- Live stream options: NFL App, NFL+, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV
- Radio stations: Panthers Radio Network, 98.5 The Sports Hub
- Starting QBs: Jack Plummer, Drake Maye
- Betting lines:
- Spread: NE -6.5
- Total: 33.5
- Moneyline: NE -278, CAR +225
The 2024 season is a chance for the Panthers and Patriots to rebound from a rough campaign.
After selecting quarterback Bryce Young first overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Panthers would stumble to a 2-15 record, fire head coach Frank Reich, and watch as the Chicago Bears selected quarterback Caleb Williams in the 2024 NFL Draft with the pick they had given up to take Young the year prior.
With Dave Canales taking over as HC, can Young and the Panthers have a better year?
Carolina has to take a step forward, especially on the offensive end, for Young’s sake. The second-year quarterback was sacked 62 times last season, the second-most in the league. Also, Carolina allowed the fourth-highest pressures per dropback at 41.1%. However, it wasn’t all on the offensive line, they allowed Young, on average, 2.89 seconds to throw, the eleventh-most in the league.
Young made plenty of mistakes as a rookie. However, with a less-than-stellar receiving core, he wasn’t set up for much success either. Ten-year veteran WR Adam Thielen led the team with 1,014 yards, almost doubling the next receiver on the list.
While Thielen broke 1,000 yards for the first time since 2018, he did it much closer to the line of scrimmage, averaging just 7.72 air yards per target, a sharp decline from his 10.36 career average in Minnesota. Thielen had the highest receptions per target average of his career with the Panthers in 2023 at 75.2%, providing Young with a reliable and consistent set of hands.
Carolina thankfully got Young and Thielen some reinforcements this offseason by trading for Diontae Johnson and drafting Xavier Legette with the last pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Combined with a splash on the offensive line by signing guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis, the Panthers are ready to see improvement.
Panthers at Patriots Betting Preview
This game might be the most intriguing because both teams have new coaching staff and systems. However, the Panthers have already ruled out Bryce Young, which makes sense, given there is no competition for the starting role. In contrast, the Patriots do have a quarterback competition and need to give their guys more reps in preseason.
For more betting analysis, make sure to check out PFN’s Week 1 preseason picks and predictions.
Fantasy Players to Watch
QB Bryce Young
Given his performance as a rookie, it would be a surprise if Bryce Young didn’t see meaningful action in the preseason. There are a couple of other players of interest on this team, particularly rookie WR Xavier Legette and rookie RB Jonathon Brooks. However, this team is going to fail or succeed based on how much of a step forward Young takes.
WR Ja’Lynn Polk
There is a bevy of players fantasy managers should be interested in seeing in the preseason. Outside of Rhamondre Stevenson, there is no clear fantasy-relevant player on the Patriots.
The first thing worth paying attention to is who plays when. DeMario Douglas and Kendrick Bourne project to be the team’s top two receivers. But what if rookie Ja’Lynn Polk impresses? This is not a difficult depth chart to climb.
For more fantasy analysis, make sure to check out PFN’s fantasy players to watch during the NFL preseason.
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