Week 3 of the NFL preseason rolled along Friday night at Bank of America Stadium, and the New England Patriotsput forth a largely strong effort in their regular-season dress rehearsal with a 19-17win over the Carolina Panthers. The Patriots are now 3-0in exhibition play, while the Panthers dropped to 1-2with one week remaining before the regular season kicks off.The story of the evening was Tom Brady's return to the gridiron.After sitting out the Patriots' first two preseason contestsincluding Week 2 after he reportedly sliced his thumb on a pair of scissorsBrady was the second quarterback in for the Patriots behind Jimmy Garoppolo.And after Garoppolo struggled to find his footing against the Panthers' attacking defense, Brady provided some relief when he came in and immediately hit Aaron Dobson for a 37-yard connection that set New England up for a field goalthegame's first three points.Then, just under five minutes into the second quarter, Brady dropped a pass in the bucket to Chris Hogan (fivecatches, 62yards) for a picturesque 33-yard touchdown to put the Pats up 9-0, as the NFL documented on Twitter:TheBoston Herald's Jeff Howe was among those in awe of Brady's accuracy:By the time his night came to a close, Brady completed three of his ninepasses for 76yards and one touchdown.Garoppolo, meanwhile, received primary snaps in advance of his four-week interim starting gig that will coincide with Brady's league-imposed suspension.And it was not pretty.After playing the majority of the first quarter, one drive at the end of the second quarter and most of the third quarter, the third-year signal-caller exited with 57 yards on 9-of-15passing, notouchdowns and nointerceptions.TheBoston Globe's Ben Volin explained that the contrast in talent under center was evident Friday night:Cam Newtonwho suffered a hairline rib fracture two years ago in preseason action against the Patriotslooked uncharacteristically rusty throughout the opening stages of Friday night's contest.Not only did Newton complete just two of his first six passes, but he failed to link up with wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin (three catches, 27 yards) and re-establish the chemistry that made them such a lethal duo two seasons ago, as NFL.com's Chris Wesseling noted:NFL.com relayed video of the interception that was intended for Newton's No. 1 wideout:All told, the 2015 NFL MVP completed 13 of 29passes for 100yardsand two interceptions in two quarters and change.Even though Newton struggled, the Panthers' rushing attack stoked optimism in the early going.Specifically, second-year tailback Cameron Artis-Payne looked fresh running behind the Panthers' first-team offensive line. On ninecarries, Artis-Payne scurried for 28yards to complement Jonathan Stewart, who toted the rock threetimes for 23yards.Sticking with the rushing theme, the Patriots received a boost out of their backfield thanks to a strong showing from Tyler Gaffney, as CSN New England's Tom E. Curran observed:Gaffney tallied 35yards on ninecarries, and the Patriots have to hope the former Stanford Cardinal standout continues to elevate up his developmental parabola with the regular season fast approaching.While LeGarrette Blount is aforceful and effective rusher, he's not a three-down back. The Patriots need to fill the void left by Dion Lewis, who is sidelined after undergoing a second knee surgery stemming from last season's torn ACL.Gaffney answered the call Friday with gusto, which means head coach Bill Belichick could face a tough decision or two in the days ahead as he attempts to sketch out how his backfield will function sans Lewis.So while the night may have been up and down in many respects, there were positives for the reigning AFC East champions to glean from the proceedings despite Garoppolo's underwhelming display.As for the Panthers, head coach Ron Rivera and Co. will need to devise a way to improve their offensive efficiency in advance of a Week 1 Super Bowl rematch against the Denver Broncos and their dominant defense.
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