Odds: Patriots -5.5, O/U: 42.5

Kickoff: The Patriots host the Carolina Panthers in a game that has an early must win feel to it. After turning the ball over five times last week and squandering an opportunity to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Patriots need to bounce back today and pick up a much needed win.

Here are five keys to the game.

1st Down: TAKE CARE OF THE FOOTBALL! What more needs to be said after last week’s 5 turnover debacle against the Steelers. The Patriots need to take better care of the ball or they will lose again this week.

2nd Down: Get off to a fast start offensively: If we truly believe the Patriots are the better team, then they need to get off to fast start offensively and put Carolina behind the eight ball early. The Patriots jumped all over the Dolphins two weeks ago and won the game. A similar start is imperative today.

3rd Down: Make life tough on Young: Whether it’s blitzing him, sim pressure or disguising, the Patriots need to make life tough on third year quarterback Bryce Young. Make him have to hold the ball and keep him in the pocket. If the Patriots do that, Carolina will struggle to score.

4th Down: Make big plays across the board: Whether it’s on offense, defense or special teams, the Patriots need to make big plays in order to win this game. The lack of big plays is alarming and a problem. You cannot win in the NFL driving the ball on every offensive possession. It is hard. The Patriots need to make some big plays. It will not be easy against a talented Carolina secondary. The defense on the other hand could have a big day, especially the pass rushers.

Extra Points: The New England Patriots and the Carolina Panthers will meet for the ninth time overall and for the first time since the Patriots took a 24-6 victory at Carolina on Nov. 7, 2021. The Panthers will visit Gillette Stadium in the regular season for the first time since taking a 33-30 win on Oct. 1, 2017.

Carolina leads the all-time regular season record 4-3 and is 2-1 overall in games played in Foxborough, including 1-1 at Gillette Stadium. (Courtesy of Patriots.com)

Final Drive: The Patriots need this one. Avoiding a 1-3 start is vitally important. The Patriots can ill-afford to be chasing two games and trying to make them the rest of the season. Getting off to a good start, protecting the ball and winning 3rd down are major elements in this game if the Patriots want to win.