The Carolina Panthers and New York Jets meet Saturday in NFL preseason action from Bank of America Stadium. This will be New York’s second preseason game so far after the Hall of Fame Game versus the Browns. in that one the Jets fell by five points. As for Carolina, they’re coming into this one after a 7-10 record last year and a second-place NFC South finish. Check back all season long for free NFL picks at Sports Chat Place. 

New York Jets 

The Jets have been a hot topic of conversation during the offseason, thanks mostly to the addition of QB Aaron Rodgers. New York is hoping that Rodgers (and also new WR arrival Allen Lazard) will help repair their dismal offense from a season ago. The middle of the defense is still a bit concerning, but if the team can actually put up points—and stay healthy—this year a deep playoff run wouldn’t be surprising. 

In their first action of the season during the Hall of Fame Game versus the Browns, the Jets jumped out to a 16-7 lead at halftime but didn’t score after that in a 21-16 loss. QB Zach Wilson went 3-for-5 with 65 yards, and Israel Abanikanda led the rush on nine carries for 27 yards and a score. Malik Taylor had a 57-yard catch to lead the receivers. 

Carolina Panthers 

Over on the Carolina side, they stumbled out of the gate last year to a 3-8 record overall. The good news is that the Panthers improved later in the season by winning four of their final six games and ultimately finishing second in the division (tied record-wise with both the Saints and Falcons). Carolina has now been out of the playoffs for five straight seasons. 

There’s some reason for optimism in Carolina these days with the addition of QB Bryce Young. This year Young will have Andy Dalton, Miles Sanders, Adam Thielen and a handful of other notable arrivals on offense to help with stability and guide him along the way. The Panthers are showing up around the middle of the pack when it comes to power rankings, so they’ve got a reasonable shot at a playoff berth if everything goes well. 

The Jets are 5-1 ATS in their last six on grass and 1-4 ATS in their last five road games. New York is 0-4 ATS in their last four overall. 

Meanwhile, the Panthers are 4-1 ATS in their last five at home and 6-2 ATS in their last eight overall. Carolina is 5-2 ATS in their last seven on grass. 

ANDREW’S FREE PICK 

I’m going to take a stab on the Panthers here. Carolina has an intriguing roster on offense heading into 2023. Young may need some time to acclimate himself to NFL tempo, but he’s certainly got the talent to succeed at the highest level. Young will be working with a relatively fresh crop of names, as no other Panthers receiver got more than 50 targets last year. With Thielen, DJ Chark and Jonathan Mingo at the top of the depth chart, Young will have some reliable players to work with. We probably won’t see a ton of major names from either side on the field for very long in this preseason matchup, and the plays won’t be too elaborate. Carolina will need some big contributions from the younger players on defense (an area of woe last year) but I think their second- and third-string guys can cobble together a win in this one.