After failing behind 17-0, the Patriots scored 26 unanswered points to beat the Redskins 26-17 in the first pre-season game of the season.

Here are five observations from the game.

1. Defense Struggled Early: The Patriots defense really struggled early on against Colt McCoy and the Redskins offense. Most of the starting defense played in the first quarter and it was concerning to see them struggle against a back up quarterback. The lack of a pass rush was once again evident early on.

2. Brian Hoyer Did Not Play Well: Hoyer completed 16 of 23 passes for 144 yards in three and half quarters of uninspired football. Look, he’s a back up for a reason but Hoyer wasn’t stuck playing with the threes and the fours. He played with some of the starters and he was unimpressive. He’s a serviceable back up but some of his physical limitations showed last night.

3. Jeremy Hill Was Impressive: Hill carried the ball 11 times for 51 yards and a touchdown. He looked lighter and he made several nice cuts during the game. He ran with good vision and balance. Right now, I would say Hill has the advantage over Mike Gillislee for the short yardage, goal line back spot because he runs harder inside the tackles and pushes the pile.

4. Don’t Sleep On Ralph Webb. I Guess:The rookie out of Vanderbilt carried the ball 14 times for 46 yards and scored two touchdowns, spearheading the Patriots come from behind win. Now I know Patriots fans got excited last night about Webb’s performance but he is still a long shot to make the team. The Patriots backfield is crowed and barring a barrage of injuries, Webb will have to play elsewhere.

5. Secondary Struggles: The Patriots secondary struggled last night which raised concerns as to whether or not they need to add a veteran in free agency. The twos and threes did not play well which means the Patriots don’t have quality depth on the back end of their defense. It was a problem in Super Bowl 52 and it still appears to be an issue.