The Panthers play their "real" Preseason game against the Patriots at Bank of America Stadium tonight.
If there is such a thing as an important preseason game, then history suggests the third game is the one where teams put the most emphasis. The starters play more in this game than they do in the other three, and the coaches actually bother to put together a game plan other than "please don't get hurt in those three drives you're on the field".
When the Panthers take on the Patriots tonight we will get a better idea of how they will look during the regular season.