New England Patriots vs Carolina Panthers: Game Four Preview and Prediction

After a dramatic win against the Houston Texans, what can we expect to see from the New England Patriots in Week 4?

The New England Patriots are coming off a dramatic, come-from-behind victory over the Houston Texans last week in Foxboro, MA. Amidst all the drama over players kneeling, standing, in the locker room, or wherever or whatever they were doing during the National Anthem, the NFL had a number of amazing games played between the white lines and the Patriots-Texans game was one of the best.

Despite the defense failing to get consistent pressure on Texans rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson and the offense once again falling into a fourth-quarter swoon reminiscent of week one against the Chiefs, the Patriots saw quarterback Tom Brady shake off the doldrums and pass for his fifth touchdown of the game to secure the victory.

This week there is another mobile quarterback like Watson to frustrate the New England defense. However, Cam Newton brings another dimension to the struggle to contain him due to his size. Built like a linebacker, the six-foot-six and 260 pound quarterback is larger than some of the edge rushers trying to tackle him. However, one of those linebackers trying to sack him could be Dont’a Hightower who could return to the New England defense after missing the last two games with a knee injury.

There are a number of factors that will go into whether the Patriots will win, whether Carolina will pull the upset, who needs to step up for New England on Sunday, what one of the hidden factors that could impact the game, and what will actually happen on Sunday.