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Patriots’ Warm Butter Defense Can’t Stop Panthers

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The only feel-good moment from an otherwise maddening loss.

The Patriots fell to 2-2 on the season Sunday, losing to the Carolina Panthers 33-30 on a last-second field goal. The Panthers scored on six of their nine possessions, with a fumble, an interception and a punt the only time the Patriots defense got off the field without surrendering points.

Despite Tom Brady’s best efforts, leading the Pats back to tie the game from 14 points down late in the fourth quarter, the defense was unable to get a final stop, taking two penalties on the final drive that helped set up the wining field goal.

There’s little time to sulk, with a quick turnaround to a Thursday night game in Tampa Bay. Perhaps that’s for the best. But it’s unmistakable that this Patriots team has serious issues on both sides of the ball and they must get them fixed quickly.

Here’s how the grossness went down…

After trading long drives that stalled and ended in field goals, Malcolm Butler’s interception, a perfect pass from Cam Newton, sparked an 11-play, 74-yard scoring drive that ended with a Chris Hogan touchdown from the two-yard line, giving the Pats a 10-3 lead early in the second quarter.

The Panthers answered right back, confusing the Patriots’ defense pre-snap to set up a 28-yard touchdown pass to Fozzy Whittaker where he ran untouched to the endzone. It was another brutal big play that the Patriots defense has been giving up way too many of this season.

It was just a sign of many many more similar plays to come.


The Patriots would re-take the lead with Stephen Gostkowski’s second field goal, powered by a 43-yard reception from Gronk. But the Panthers weren’t done having their way with the Patriots secondary as they answered with a wide open touchdown catch by Devin Funchess.

Undeterred, Tom Brady still moved the ball into field goal range with just four seconds remaining as Gostkowski hit his third field goal of the half, a 58-yarder that was the longest in team history, cutting the lead to 17-16 at the break.

Things looked just as bad for the Patriots defense to start the second half as Carolina went right down the field with chunk yardage play after chunk yardage play until Trey Flowers forced a fumble inside the 15-yard line and Elandon Roberts (now aka Lando) recovered. But the Patriots couldn’t capitalize, punting after getting out to their own 32.

Once again the Panthers cut through the Patriots’ defense like a knife through warm butter, going 12 plays, 68 yards for another touchdown to extend the lead to 23-16 with a missed extra point.

After a four-and-out by the Patriots, the Panthers marched right down the field as they had all day, this time it took just six plays to go 64 yards for another touchdown, extending the lead to 30-16 in the early fourth quarter.

The Patriots would finally answer with a touchdown drive but it wasn’t easy and took a 4th-and-2 conversion to Gronk for 13 yards. Dion Lewis chipped in a speedy touchdown run to the corner, cutting the lead to 30-23 with 8:46 left in the game.

Maybe that woke the Patriots defense up temporarily, as they forced their first three-and-out in the game thanks to a sack by Dont’a Hightower. This set up Brady for a game-tying touchdown drive as he found Danny Amendola from just one-yard out, tying the game with 3:09 left.

That put the game in the defense’s hands and it looked like they had forced a three-and-out when Dietrich Wise sacked Cam Newton on third down, but there was a flag on the play. Stephon Gilmore got nailed for a second hands to the face penalty, extending the drive.

The Patriots defense would get another third down chance to get off the field, a third-and-three at their own 46, but Cam Newton found Devin Funchess for the first down. Add in a Patrick Chung holding penalty and Carolina hit the last-second field goal to take the win 33-30.

There’s plenty to break down from this one and not a lot of time to do it. But it’s hard to believe the Patriots would start this season losing two of their first three at home. Simply put, I’m not sure I’ve seen a Belichick defense look this discombobulated. And on offense they’re far too inconsistent and only seem to start playing when the game is on then line at the end.

I’m not quite sure what to make of the 2017 Patriots at this point. They are inconsistent and disorganized. It’s a strange feeling. If they can squeeze out a win over the Bucs they’ll have a bit of an extended break to re-evaluate things.

One thing’s for sure, this isn’t the kind of Patriots teams we’ve gotten used to over the last decade-and-a-half and exactly what the overall problem is is still very much unclear.