CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ Mention the New England Patriots to any NFL fan and they will have an opinion. Headlined by their Bill Belichick-Tom Brady killer combo for the past two decades, the Patriots have been too good for too long to be ignored.
Mention them to a Carolina Panthers fan and the feelings are mixed. Carolina lost a thrilling Super Bowl to the Patriots 15 years ago, but the Panthers also have had some exceptional moments against New England.
For teams that aren't in the same division or conference, these two meet up a lot. Thursday night's preseason game at New England will be the fifth time in the past six years the Panthers and Patriots have played an exhibition against each other.
Panthers head coach Ron Rivera likes the frequent matchups.
"They're the gold standard," Rivera said of the Patriots. "They've been the gold standard for quite some time. ... And it really is a good measuring stick as to who we can be as a football team."
As the teams prepare to play again in the "dress rehearsal" game of the NFL exhibition season, I give you the eight most significant things that have ever happened in the Panthers-Patriots rivalry. The years listed below refer to the NFL season when the moment occurred. The events are listed in chronological order.
