Aug. 13-16 at Buffalo: The Panthers will begin the preseason on the road for the first time since they opened at Baltimore in 2010. Carolina and Buffalo faced off in last year’s preseason opener, with the Bills leaving Charlotte after a 20-18 win. But rookie receiver Kelvin Benjamin did this:

Aug. 20-24 vs. Dolphins: The second of three games against AFC East opponents, the Panthers and Dolphins last met in the 2013 regular season and during the 2012 preseason. This Miami club will feature its new $114 million defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Carolina quarterback Cam Newton likely won’t repeat a harmless joke that got blown out of proportion.

Aug. 27-30 vs. Patriots: If any preseason game has a semblance of actual relevance, it’s usually the third on the schedule. And for the second straight year, the Panthers will face the Patriots in the week when starters tend to log their most playing time. Last August, Carolina not only suffered a 30-7 loss, but Newton also suffered broken ribs. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was 17-of-21 for 204 yards and two touchdowns in a warmup ahead of his fourth Super Bowl win.

Sept. 3-4 at Pittsburgh: Surprise, surprise. The Panthers and Steelers will meet in the preseason finale for the 13th straight year. While you may be tired of the matchup, at least this one will have the added storyline of new Pittsburgh running back DeAngelo Williams facing the team that cut him in February. But starter Le’Veon Bell may be suspended to open the regular season, so there’s already a decent chance the Steelers could hold Williams out of the most meaningless game in football.