Kickoff: Football is officially back in Foxborough. Following a physical joint practice session earlier in the week, the New England Patriots host the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium for their 2026 preseason opener. With the majority of the starters getting their primary work during practice, and out for this game, tonight’s game shifts the spotlight entirely onto the fringe roster battles, developmental prospects, and position group depth.  Four Downs 1st…

Joint practice sessions offer a crucial early-season look into scheme execution, structural adjustments, and individual matchups. Analyzing tape from the joint practice session between the Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots reveals five distinct coaching observations on both sides of the ball. 1. Patriots Interior D-Line Struggled Against Zone Run Schemes The Patriots defensive front faced significant challenges defending inside the tackles when tasked with halting inside zone and…

Eric Canha/Imagn Images The Colts visit Foxborough ahead of Thursday night’s preseason game for a joint practice with the Patriots. Joint practices are a great opportunity to evaluate your team against someone else after a long two week stretch of training camp. We will be watching plenty of things during today’s practices, especially these five things. 1. Patriots D-Line vs. Colts O-Line: The battle in the trenches between New England’s…