Pats Get Win Despite Turnovers, Pound Panthers 20-10

By: Jeff Sack

This was a down right ugly win there is no other way to put it. The New England Patriots did what they had to do on Sunday; defeat a less than mediocre Carolina Panthers team at Gillette Stadium by a final score of 20-10. However other than getting the necessary victory that keeps them in first place in the less than stellar AFC East there were not a whole lot of positives the team or their fans could take from this game.

Proud papa Tom Brady looked like he has been staying up all night with his newborn as he did not have a good afternoon on the gridiron. Brady was 19/32 for a total of 192 yards with one touchdown and one interception. That would be one of three times the Patriots turned over the rock during the game the other two times were on fumbles. This did not look like a team that with three regular season contests to go were tuning up for the Playoffs. New England looked a lot more like a team that is ready to make a very early exit this season.

Losing a game they should won against the Indianapolis Colts was unacceptable but alas understandable. They are after all the Indianapolis Colts with one of the best quarterbacks of his generation in Peyton Manning. Being man-handled by the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football was not unexpected. The Saints are playing like a finely tuned machine.

However losing another game they should have won against an inferior opponent last week as they did against the Miami Dolphins and not showing up for the first half of the game on this Sunday does not bode well for New England. The way this team is playing over the last couple of weeks will not get the job done in the Playoffs; that is if they make the Post Season.

The Patriots now lead the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets by just one game with three games to play. Based on what we have seen over the last couple of weeks their holding onto first place in the division is by no means a lock. These next three weeks are “Must Wins” for New England and they certainly must come in far more inspiring fashion than they did against Carolina.

Neither team could muster up much offense during the first half of play. The Panthers were the first team to break the scoring drought as Carolina QB Steve Smith connected with Matt Moore on a 41 yard pass for a touchdown with 2:43 left in the first quarter. John Kasay kicked the ball through the goal posts and the Panthers would hold a 7-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Patriots would score with just 1:08 left in the first half as running back Kevin Faulk scampered into the end-zone for a three yard touchdown run. Stephen Gostkowski kicked the extra point and when the game reached the half the score was knotted up at 7-7.

There would be no more scoring until with just 1:06 left in the third Tom Brady hit Benjamin Watson with a 5 yard TD pass. Gostkowski got the ball through the up rights and the Patriots would score what would prove to be the winning touchdown leading 14-7. All the scoring in the fourth quarter came via the field goal. Kasay would one through the goal posts from 36 yards away with 12:14 left in the fourth to make it a 14-10 Patriots lead. However Stephen Gostkowski would kick two for New England one from 48 yards out and one from 47 yards out for the final margin of victory.

The win gives the Patriots an 8-5 record and they will play next Sunday in Buffalo as they take on the Bills while Carolina falls to 5-8 and will host the Minnesota Vikings next Sunday night.