Carolina Panthers coaches and players comment on their upcoming game against the New England Patriots.
On the Patriots...
"New England's a great team. They play complimentary football at the highest level. They're physical. I mean this is a really physical team! Downhill run game. They're going to punish people. I love the fullback. Offensive line is physical and they get downhill. Tailback runs hard. Explosive play action passing game and they utilize everyone in the play action passing game. Mac's playing really well. He protects the ball, makes good decisions and he's really accurate down the field. He throws a really catchable ball. They've got great skill players and guys that can get open. Defensively, they take away the run. They play man coverage. They've got Devin McCourty back there. He makes everything right for them. He's excellent. A lot of different looks and a lot of different personnel groupings. They're a team that kind of is the way we want to be."
- Panthers Head Coach Matt Rhule
"Everything's integrated. They play together, they play the same style. With six minutes left in the game, they have the lead, and their guys are all getting to the boundary and sliding. Just elite time management and situational awareness, impacted by everybody. Last year we had a guy reach across the goal line, and guys asked me why would he do that? Look at their team, they throw the ball and the 1-yard line, and they've got five points of ball security. They are just culturally, they're not going to beat themselves, they do things the right way. It's elite football. So it's really cool to watch."
- Panthers Head Coach Matt Rhule
On the Patriots offense...
"They've got a great rookie quarterback. He's making a lot of plays for them. They've got a good offensive line that can play downhill and they can pass block. They've got some good receivers that can get open. They can do pretty much everything, so it's going to be our best guys against their best guys and we've got to win our one on one matchups."
- Panthers Cornerback Stephon Gilmore
On the Patriots defense...
"I know the type of system that Bill Belichick is running with that defense -- the tenacity and the style of playing that they do -- so, I know it's going to be a war. The key to beating the Patriots is playing fundamentally sound football. I've seen it since my rookie year at the Jets that if you give them a turnover then that's what makes the difference in that game. You just have to do all the little things correctly."
- Panthers Wide Receiver Robby Anderson
"They've been playing pretty well. I think they have done a great job just forcing turnovers. They play a great sound defense. They are not going to let you beat them defensively. We've just got to take what's there. Take what's in front of us and get the ball in our playmaker's hands and let them make plays."
- Panthers Quarterback P.J. Walker
On Bill Belichick...
"He's a great coach. He studies the game, he prepares a lot, and he's going to have his players ready to play. He's a great coach, and he does that well."
- Panthers Cornerback Stephon Gilmore
"He's won all different ways, with different players; he's had so many guys come through his team and his system and found a way to get it done."
- Panthers Head Coach Matt Rhule
On facing his former team...
"I learned a lot there, played a lot of ball there, and became a better player there, preparing and studying. ... That was a chapter in my life where I learned a lot. I'm happy I'm back home now. Things just didn't work out. That's life. You have to move on, and handle your situation the best way you can. This is in the past. We have a big game this week coming up. I'm just looking forward to that opportunity."
- Panthers Cornerback Stephon Gilmore
