AP PHOTO
FOXBOROUGH — Preseason openers in the modern NFL rarely provide definitive answers, but they always offer a baseline.
On a muggy Thursday night at Gillette Stadium, the Patriots and Indianapolis Colts rested the majority of their projected starters and played to a 13-13 tie in their 2026 preseason opener.
With starting quarterback Drake Maye and 30 other key Patriots watching from the sideline following an intense week of joint practices, the Patriots depth chart took center stage. The night was defined by opportunistic defense, missed kicks, flashes from second-string playmakers, and typical mid-August execution mistakes.
The Patriots’ defense set the tone early, forcing four total turnover opportunities against Indianapolis. Defensive backs Kindle Vildor and John Saunders Jr. each snagged interceptions, helping New England stay in control for much of the evening despite the limited offensive output.
When asked after the game about the defense delivering takeaway opportunities right out of the gate, head coach Mike Vrabel didn’t hold back his expectations.
“I think they better have,” he said. “I think they better have or there would have been a lot more points that they scored. The turnovers are great, and I love us attacking the football and taking advantage of that. Just a lot of things to clean up, but when you talk about the ability to create turnovers, it can change the game.
“Just try to defend every blade of grass down there on the goal line, and come up with a big turnover there.”
Offensively, backup quarterback Tommy DeVito provided the primary highlight for Patriots fans, connecting with wideout Kyle Williams on a 12-yard touchdown pass. In the backfield, rookie running back Jam Miller provided tough yards between the tackles, running with low leverage and giving the coaching staff plenty to evaluate on film. He finished with 55 yards on 14 carries. Williams had two catches for 37 yards.
Vrabel noted Miller’s physical approach during his postgame session while addressing roster moves earlier in the day.
“We put guys on IR that are going to be out for an extended amount of time, and unfortunately, Terrell [Jennings] will be in that group,” Vrabel said. “But it was good to see Jam come out and have some nice runs. I felt like it was good to see him run with his pads down and have a couple physical runs, and was happy for him. This is a great evaluation.”
Indianapolis rallied late behind kicker Spencer Shrader, who drilled a 61-yard field goal with 1:16 left in regulation to tie the score at 13-13. New England kicker Andy Borregales had chances to keep the Patriots ahead but endured a rough night, missing three field goal attempts.
“I don’t have a message,” Vrabel said when asked if he had a message for the young kicker following the misses. “We’re expected to make them. That’s pro football.”
Beyond the placekicking woes, questions lingered around key personnel who did not dress, including star cornerback Christian Gonzalez. Vrabel addressed the roster availability and the overall value of combining joint practice work with the exhibition game.
“Christian was in a group of many players that weren’t here tonight,” Vrabel explained. “Christian was physically unavailable for the practice. That’s the clarification. Just like other players. Everybody has a plan here, there were other guys that were in that same category.”
Reflecting on the entire week facing Indianapolis in joint practices leading into the game, Vrabel emphasized the big-picture value for his squad.
“Yeah, it’s good work,” Vrabel said. “Hopefully, everybody came out as clean as possible. That’s a good football team. They run the ball well, and good up front, and gave us multiple looks defensively throughout the practice. I felt like it was good to work with them and try to have a productive game.”
The Patriots return to practice on Saturday ahead of another round of joint practices, welcoming the Philadelphia Eagles for two practices before the second preseason game next Saturday night.