Just wanted to thank everyone for their concern. I’m just fine and looking forward to getting back after it next week! #KeepPounding #BDH
— Jeremy Cash (@jaycash_16) August 27, 2016
“It was decided during the week we weren’t going to play him, we were just going to work him hard,” Rivera said. “He’s going to work hard this week as we prepare for the next game and the opener.”
While Newton wasn’t good, he didn’t get much help from his teammates, who dropped at least four passes.
“We took our turns making mistakes and any time that happens, you know you’re going to get those kind of results,” Newton said.
“We just got to be on each other’s Wi-Fi stronger than we have been. It’s been a lackluster performance with the communication part and when that happens, if you’re already beat pre-snap, then the success rate is going to be extremely low.”
“Last year there were a lot of growing pains as far as getting out on the field and not being fully comfortable,” he admitted afterward. “But this year I’m more comfortable. I’m not going to say I’m fully there, but it’s a lot better than it was last year.”
“All game I was waiting for my number to be called,” he said. “Whenever I got in, I actually got to execute some plays and do what we’ve been doing in practice. That’s what it’s all about, waiting for your number to be called and then coming in and executing, making plays whenever you get in there and impressing the coaches.”
“I was happy that I was able to just step in and not completely bust the coverage,” Blechen said, “or at least just get the job done late in the game.”
Blechen shared a tackle on his second play and finished with three stops.
“This was a big-time emergency, but who knows,” Rivera said when asked if Blechen could be moved back to safety. “Maybe he showed us something. Big, physical guy like that playing downhill — it was kind of impressive.”
It’s more likely the Panthers will sign at least one free agent as soon as Saturday. Veteran free agents Donte Whitner and Stevie Brown are set to work out for the team, along with “a couple young guys,” according to Rivera.
“I kind of relaxed. I wasn’t thinking the ball was going to come to me,” Bradberry said. “It was a learning experience. I always play through the route at all times and I was full speed.
“In preseason you’re either winning or you’re learning, so I’m just learning still.”
“Lower those passes. Catch the ball,” he said. “Catch the interceptions. Make the sacks. We are right where we need to be. We are in position to make plays. That’s the best thing about it. It’s not like we weren’t there. It wasn’t like we were getting our butts whipped.
“We had opportunities and we didn’t make the plays. That’s the disappointing part. If we weren’t in position to make plays I would be upset. But I’m not. I’m just disappointed.”
“Whenever you step out there in the white lines, it’s for real. Guys will come out and take your head off,” said Ginn, who had two receptions and at least as many drops. “So you want to go out there and you want to catch every ball, you want to make every play that you can make. When you don’t, you kind of go into, ‘OK, it’s just preseason,’ but that’s a cliché.
“You want to go out there and make every catch and make every throw. That’s why you play this game. That’s why you’re called a pro.”
“Carolina doesn’t play a lot of single coverage, single-high coverage,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “So when you get those opportunities, we talk about trying to go up on them. We did a couple times, and that’s one we hit.”