The New England Patriots were stout on defense in all phases Friday night in a 30-7 preseason victory over the Carolina Panthers.
"[We] had a tremendous time," Patriots defensive end Chandler Jones said, via Patriots.com. "Football is fun."
Jones was on the field for more than half of the Patriots' defensive plays, regularly finding his way into the Panthers' offensive backfield while also excelling when dropping back against the pass. He led the Patriots with six tackles and a pair of sacks.
New England held the Panthers to fewer than 30 yards rushing in the first half and 63 all game. It tallied three quarterback takedowns, an interception and held Carolina to 5-for-13 on third down.
"That's what the defense is supposed to do," defensive end Rob Ninkovich said, "– stop the run and have good coverage and get pressure on the quarterback."
Solid coverage in the secondary by Darrelle Revis & Co. for most of the evening allowed the front seven to disrupt the Carolina offense, a combination that could prove deadly this season with Tom Brady leading the charge on the other side of the ball.
The team returns to action Thursday night for the preseason finale against the New York Giants, where those on the back end of the roster will jockey for final positions on the depth chart.
The team returns to action Thursday night for the preseason finale against the New York Giants, where those on the back end of the roster will jockey for final positions on the depth chart.
