The Panthers' first preseason matchup brings back familiar concerns for the team moving forward

As it turns out, not much has changed.

Throughout the Carolina Panthers' first preseason game, which saw several key players sit out of the contest , the offense sputtered for long lengths. The night began with nine consecutive punts before the first score of the game in the middle of the second quarter.

In a rainy Gillette Stadium, the offensive attack from both sides was lacking out of the gate. By halftime, the score was a rather uninspiring 7-0 in New England's favor. Overall, the game embodied the word meh. Let's dive into three observations .

1.) Quarterback play remains uninspiring

Blame it on a rough day at the office for several of the second-string offensive linemen, but the quarterback play remained rather uninspiring for the Panthers.

Jack Plummer, an undrafted rookie signal caller, was fine. But he did very little to compel the Panthers to carry a third quarterback on the roster once Andy Dalton recovers from an injury he sustained before the Fan Fest inter-squad scrimmage and Bryce Young assumes his starter role.

Most glaring for Plummer was his lack of pocket awareness. As Panthers legend Steve Smith Sr. put it: "He's back there like he's waiting for an Uber."

Though there weren't many bright spots from Plummer, he still had his moments. For example, a breakdown in coverage in the second quarter led him to make a pretty impressive panic throw for a big gain.

Still, don't look for plays like this one to come in the regular season.

2.) Concerning drops?

After spending the early portion of training camp talking up the new and improved Panthers wide receiver room, Jonathan Mingo and Terrace Marshall Jr. have brought back familiar concerns.

The two pass catchers struggled with drops throughout the Panthers' matchup with the Patriots.

For Mingo, it was exceedingly shocking due to the confidence he played with during the early weeks of training camp.

Mingo's worst drop came early in the first quarter when a pass hit him directly in the hands and he couldn't come up with the catch on third down.

See for yourself:

Though this isn't the starting crop of Panthers players, there is still little to write home about regarding how the wide receiver group played throughout the first preseason game.

3.) Giving up sacks will be a problem

It was a hard day at the office for the offensive line. It is a familiar problem for the Panthers at this point.

New England wasn't dialing up any unique blitzes throughout the night, Carolina merely struggled to contain any semblance of a pass rush. Through the third quarter, Plummer was sacked five times for 35 yards. It never got better.

Walking away from the game, it has to be evident to Dave Canales that offensive line play must be better moving forward.