Game Preview: Patriots at Panthers

​After opening the preseason at home for the first two weeks, the Patriots will close out the 2016 preseason on the road for the final two weeks, starting with a visit to the defending NFC Champion Carolina Panthers. It will be the third straight year the two teams will be meeting in the preseason.

The Patriots are off to a 2-0 start and will be looking to begin the preseason with a 3-0 record for the first time since finishing the preseason a perfect 4-0 in 2003.

The 2016 season marked the fifth straight year that the Patriots will held joint practice sessions. The Patriots hosted the Saints for two days of joint practice sessions prior to their 34-22 victory at Gillette Stadium on Thurs, Aug. 11. Last week, the Patriots hosted Chicago for three days of joint practices prior to their 23-22 win.

The Patriots will close the preseason on Thu., Sept. 1 when they travel to play the New York Giants.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

TELEVISION
This week's game will be broadcast by the Patriots Preseason Television Network and can be seen in every New England state, as well as Alaska and Hawaii. The preseason network's flagship station is WBZ-TV CBS in Boston. WBZ-TV's Dan Rocheprovides play-by-play and is joined by former Patriots tight end Christian Fauria in the broadcast booth. Former Patriots linebacker Matt Chatham will provide sideline analysis along with WBZ-TV's Steve Burton. Patriots Football Weekly's beatwriters Paul Perillo and Andy Hart will also provide insight and analysis.

RADIO
98.5 FM, The Sports Hub, is the flagship station for the Patriots Radio Network. A complete listing of the network's 40 stations can be found here. Play-by- play broadcaster Bob Socci will call the action along with former Patriots quarterback Scott Zolak, who will provide color analysis. The games are produced by Marc Cappello.

SERIES HISTORY

The New England Patriots and the Carolina Panthers will meet for the third consecutive season in the preseason and for the ninth time in the preseason overall, when the Patriots travel to Carolina this week. In 2014, the Patriots hosted the Panthers at Gillette Stadium on Aug. 22 and pulled out a 30-7 victory. Last season, the Patriots traveled to Carolina on Aug. 28 and pulled out a 17-16 preseason victory.

The teams last played in the regular season in 2013 in a competitive Monday Night Football contest on Nov. 18, 2013, when a Tom Brady pass to TE Rob Gronkowski fell incomplete on the last play of the game to give Carolina a 24-20 win at Bank of America Stadium.

New England leads the preseason matchups with a 6-2 advantage in the eight preseason games.

Carolina holds the edge in the regular season with a 3-2 margin.

The Patriots and Panthers met in Super Bowl XXXVIII on Feb. 2, 2004. The Patriots-Panthers Super Bowl is widely believed to be among the most entertaining Super Bowls ever played, as the Panthers took a fourth-quarter lead only to see the Patriots came up with a game-winning field goal in the final seconds to clinch the see-saw battle.
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SERIES RESULTS
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• Overall Record (including playoffs): 3-3
• Record in Foxborough: 1-1
• Record in Charlotte: 1-2
• Record in Houston: 1-0
• Total Points in the Series: Patriots 144, Panthers 116
• Patriots' Largest Margin of Victory: 32 points (01/06/02)
• Patriots' Largest Margin of Defeat: 10 points (09/18/05)
• Highest Combined Point Total: 61 points (02/01/04)
• Lowest Combined Point Total: 37 points (10/29/95)
• Games Decided by Seven or Fewer Points: 3
• Games Decided by 21 or More Points: 1
• Current Win Streak: Panthers, one game