The first day of joint practices between the Patriots and Panthers didn't disappoint in a lengthy two-and-a-half-hour session on Tuesday morning.
New England and Carolina went toe-to-toe in what felt like the first truly competitive practice of the summer, which was a great litmus test for where the Patriots are on both sides of the ball.
Although quarterback Mac Jones and the passing offense took a step forward, Bill Belichick's defense stole the show with a highly-impactful day in the trenches.
In a run-heavy opening 11-on-11 period, the Panthers and star running back Christian McCaffrey couldn't get anything going.