10 Key Takeaways from the New England Patriots Tie Against the Indianapolis Colts

The New England Patriots are back on the gridiron, returning to action last night with a 13-13 tie against the Indianapolis Colts in the preseason opener at Gillette Stadium.

In the first live reps of the summer, New England placed a heavy emphasis on playing time for their new arrivals and youth, providing a much clearer picture of the team’s developmental pipeline and revealing core strengths and weaknesses behind the likely starters.

Tommy DeVito, Kyle Williams, and the Patriots’ defense starred early as New England mounted a lead in the first half, but Indianapolis was able to tighten the game late to squeak away with a knotted final score. In a game that featured several highs and lows, the home team may not have come out on top on the scoreboard, but left the field of play with well-defined pathways toward improvement as the regular season draws near.

Here are 10 key takeaways from the Patriots’ preseason tie against the Indianapolis Colts:

One of the more intriguing player statuses to monitor entering Thursday night was wide receiver Kayshon Boutte. 

Boutte has received an increasing snap share with the second-team offense through the team’s most recent practice sessions, and although his role would suggest that he would be on the field for the preseason opener, the constant rumors surrounding his availability via trade provided at least a shadow of a doubt on that end. If the Patriots are looking to offload the receiver before the start of the regular season, they could have left him on the shelf to preserve his health for a potential deal. That wasn’t the case come game day.

Instead, Boutte was on the field to start the preseason for New England — and played on all three of the Patriots’ offensive drives in the first quarter. He was sidelined following the opening stanza, opening the door for Nick DeGennaro and Cameron Dorner to earn more playing time as the action progressed. 

Boutte may yet still be in the plans for Josh McDaniels and the Patriots offense in 2026… if he doesn’t get dealt in the coming weeks.

Tommy DeVito has been the recipient of widespread praise for his training camp performance behind Drake Maye, including eye-popping outings during last week’s intrasquad scrimmage (13-of-17 passing) and Tuesday’s joint practice against the Colts (11-of-16 passing). 

It took DeVito some time to work his way into form during last night’s contest, but the flashes we’ve seen during camp were apparent in the second quarter. After starting out completing just two of his first five passing attempts, DeVito mounted a 12 play, 82-yard touchdown drive — completing 7-of-8 passes with 58 yards and a 12-yard exclamation point to wide receiver Kyle Williams on a back shoulder fade in the end zone to score.

Some of DeVito’s more impressive throws — a play-action boot to tight end Eli Raridon, a deep post to wide receiver Cameron Dorner, and a mid-field screen to Lan Larison — were called back due to offensive line infractions, but his downfield accuracy still showed at points.

DeVito’s final statline may not be the most inspiring to look at, completing 13-of-22 passes with 138 yards and one touchdown, but the evidence of his strong training camp did carry over into the first half of the preseason opener. He’ll have the opportunity to put together a more complete outing next week against the Philadelphia Eagles.

On just three targets and one half of play, second-year wide receiver Kyle Williams made a sizeable impact on Thursday night’s contest. 

Williams finished the game with two receptions on those three targets, gained 37 receiving yards, and scored New England’s lone touchdown with his body-reversing, toe-tapping end zone grab from 12 yards out in the second quarter. 

His other reception came later in the first-half when the Patriots were driving the length of the field in the two-minute drill to extend the lead before halftime. Williams sold a vertical and cut it off deep downfield, converted the route into a hitch, caught the ball in-flow with the timing of DeVito, and turned upfield towards the sideline to create a much larger gain after the catch. The explosive play put New England on the edge of field goal range to tack on three points before the break, but the offense was unable to gain any additional yardage and was forced to punt from the Indianapolis 43-yard-line.

In an extremely crowded wide receiver room, Williams’ elite athleticism gives the Patriots an added downfield element that pairs well with the strengths of their quarterback. His connection with Maye has been slow to develop, but his promising performance on Thursday may grant him some additional reps to build upon.

The battle for the third running back role behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson has been hotly contested and has taken many twists and turns. That may have only been amplified against the Colts last night.

Initially believed to be a clash between Terrell Jennings and Lan Larison, Jennings unexpectedly landed on injured reserve earlier in the day on Thursday. Undrafted free agent Myles Montgomery was also waived with an injury designation on Wednesday, cleared waivers, and reverted to injured reserve —  opening the door for more competition. Former New England running back Jamycal Hasty was re-signed, along with Hasaan Haskins — a former fourth-round pick by Mike Vrabel with the Tennessee Titans — to fill-in during the interim.

During the preseason opener, that roster movement spurred a head-to-head contest between seventh-round rookie Jam Miller and 2025 undrafted free agent Larison that lasted nearly the entire game. The result? Polar-opposite performances between the two.

Miller led the team in rushing attempts (14), yards (55), and average (3.9 yards per carry) on Thursday night, flashing his elusiveness on several outside zone and stretch running concepts that allowed him to break contain on the perimeter of the defense and pick up chunk gains. Miller’s most notable conversion, however, came on a 4th-and-3 carry from the Patriots’ 27-yard line. He didn’t provide much in the aerial attack and was frequently subbed-out of the lineup for Larison on obvious passing downs and distances.

Larison’s evening was in stark contrast from Miller’s. His rushing totals were nearly non-existent: seven rushes and just one yard gained (0.1 yards per carry), but he was New England’s most active receiver. His six receptions were a team-high, and his 39 receiving yards also led the way for the vast majority of the game before being overtaken by Kobe Prentice late (three receptions, 40 yards). Larison was the trusted back in most passing situations, giving DeVito and Behren Morton a dependable checkdown option throughout all four quarters of play.

Training camp may have begun with a competition between Jennings and Larison for the third running back spot, but that now turns squarely towards Miller to supplant the incumbent. His play in the preseason opener is a promising development for the depth of the group, especially considering their early-season injury woes.

Aside from Miller, Thursday night’s game against Indianapolis was a first-look at several of the Patriots’ rookie prospects. 

Eli Raridon led the way offensively… although the stat sheet won’t show it. He finished the game with just one reception and eight receiving yards, but had another big play — the aforementioned play-action boot from DeVito — called back due to an ineligible man downfield. He was open on at least two other occasions, but off-target throws didn’t give him a chance to come down with the football.

Tanner Arkin won’t turn heads with his box score numbers, but his usage in the game came early and often. Aligning as a fullback in the starting lineup, Arkin frequently took snaps in the Patriots’ backfield throughout the course of the evening — showcasing the team’s comfortability using him as a lead blocker at the point of attack from a multitude of different positions.

Cameron Dorner also generated an audible reaction from the home crowd on a few occasions. His biggest gain — a play-action bomb downfield from DeVito in the second quarter — was called back due to (another) ineligible man downfield penalty, but he came back with an 18-yard reception on a slant route to keep the offense moving later on.

First-round pick offensive tackle Caleb Lomu started at right tackle for New England, and his relatively quiet night would suggest a solid premier for the rookie. He was flagged once as an ineligible man downfield, but otherwise held a clean pocket for DeVito to navigate in the first half. Second-round pick edge rusher Gabe Jacas also made his debut and recorded five total tackles (three solo). 

Rookies steered the ship for the Patriots’ defense for a large portion of the game, and did so with great success. Undrafted free agents cornerback Channing Canada (eight total, four solo) and Khalil Jacobs (six total, two solo) topped the leaderboard in tackles, while fifth-round pick cornerback Karon Prunty excelled in coverage. Prunty allowed no receptions on 24 passing snaps and registered three tackles.

Free agent additions looking to carve out a spot on the 53-man roster also made key contributions for New England’s defense against the Colts. 

On the Patriots’ first defensive possession of the preseason, cornerback Kindle Vildor generated the first of four takeaways on the night. Anthony Richarson’s quick-out attempt to Cameron Owen traveled just wide, tipped off the receiver’s hands, and right into the waiting arms of Vildor to secure the interception.

Later in the second quarter, linebacker K.J. Britt punched the ball out of a scrambling Richardson’s arms for the Patriots’ third takeaway of the first half. Defensive tackle Isaiah Iton was in on the recovery, setting up New England’s 12-play touchdown drive.

Offensively, training camp addition Kobe Prentice led all Patriots’ pass-catchers with 40 yards receiving and offensive tackle James Hudson III provided value at right guard in the first-half and left tackle in the second-half. With thinning depth along the interior, he could be a surprise roster candidate to watch for as a gap-plugger at multiple positions.

Ball disruption is a core tenet of Mike Vrabel’s defensive philosophy. Ideally, that would lead to takeaway generation. Last year, that wasn’t the case for New England’s defensive unit (19 takeaways in 2025). Last night, it was the heartbeat of the team.

The Patriots created four turnovers in the preseason opener: two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Three of Indianapolis’ first four possessions ended with the ball in New England’s hands, and each time, the takeaway halted a possession that would have likely ended in points for the opposition.

Vildor’s interception kicked things off for the Patriots and his snag occurred at the New England 33-yard-line. Next, defensive tackle Jeremiah Pharms Jr. forced a fumble at the goal line as running back Seth McGowan was fighting to score. Safety Dell Pettus was there on the recovery for New England. Britt’s forced fumble and the ensuing Iton recovery happened on the Colts’ next possession, and took place at the Patriots’ 31-yard-line.

New England’s fourth and final takeaway welcomed quarterback Riley Leonard to game action in not-so-friendly fashion. Leonard was hit by defensive tackle Eric Gregory and edge rusher Bradyn Swinson on a downfield pass attempt, causing the ball to hang in mid-air with enough time for safety John Saunders Jr. to run underneath it and return the interception 26 yards back into Indianapolis territory. Swinson also ended the Colts’ final possession of the third quarter with a pass deflection on fourth down at the Patriots’ 6-yard-line.

If Thursday night was any indication of the aggressiveness New England’s defense will be playing with in the months ahead, ball disruption and takeaway generation will be in spades.

Another under-the-radar roster battle that is heating up lies in the Patriots’ secondary, but is not amongst the starters. 

Safeties Mike Brown, Dell Pettus, and John Saunders Jr. have all rotated in-and-out of the first-team defense during training camp as a “big nickel,” or third safety on the field, and each has an argument to win the job. In the early spring and summer, it looked like Brown — a free agent addition in March — was on the fast track to land the role, but standout performances by Pettus and Saunders since have made the outlook much foggier.

Pettus and Saunders each made a profound impact on Thursday’s opener, with the former recovering the second quarter goal line fumble and the latter hauling in the third quarter interception. Pettus may have staying power as a returning contributor whose shown development with more playing time, but Saunders has recently stacked consecutive days with highlights. Prior to his takeaway in the first preseason game, Saunders grabbed another pick in Tuesday’s joint practice against Indianapolis.

Last year, the Patriots were the beneficiaries of great health in the third-level of the defense, as both Jaylinn Hawkins and Craig Woodson played over 90% of the total defensive snaps on the season. That can’t be the typical expectation entering the year, framing this role as an important one to identify and mold into shape. 

Right now, it appears to be up-for-grabs. And each contestant is doing their best to leave a lasting impression on the coaching staff.

In an otherwise very efficient training camp for second-year kicker Andy Borregales, his inconsistency from deep is becoming a constant. 

Borregales’ struggles against the Colts began during Tuesday’s joint practice. He finished the day 5-of-7 on all of his field goal attempts during the session, but both misses came from 50-plus. On Thursday night, he was unable to convert on a missed 56-yard attempt in the second quarter and a 55-yarder in the third, but did convert from 52-yards out before missing the potential game-winner from 49-yards.

Early in year two, Borregales’ struggles from range shouldn’t raise any immediate alarm bells — but they will be worth monitoring early on in the regular season. In 2025, Borregales was able to shake off a rocky start and finish his rookie campaign an impressive 27-of-32, including 4-of-4 from 50-plus.

It wasn’t a great start for Borregales on Thursday night, but his ability to bounce-back quickly was proven last year. He’ll need to do so quickly to keep competition from creeping into the room.

Unfortunately not all of New England’s preseason participants were able to finish out Thursday night’s opener, and two injuries along the interior offensive line could have future ramifications. 

Interior line super-sub Ben Brown started the game against Indianapolis but quickly departed to take a trip to the blue medical tent, and subsequently, the locker room. He did not return to action. Guard Andrew Rupcich initially exited the game in the first quarter with an apparent knee injury. He later returned, but was rolled up on early in the first quarter and was forced off the field again. 

Rupcich has worked with the second-team offense at left guard this offseason and has pushed Brown for a backup role along the interior of the Patriots’ offensive line. An already thin position room that has explored additions as recently as last week, their health will be paramount. 

On Monday, New England traded 2024 third-round pick guard Caeden Wallace and a 2029 seventh-round pick to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a 2028 sixth-round pick. They recently brought in former New York Giants guard Greg Van Roten (36) in for a visit. 

We’ll see if Brown or Rupcich can make it back to action in a timely fashion, or if the injuries force the Patriots to add extra security to the offensive line in short order.

Promising developments are taking place for New England’s youth and deep into the depth of the roster. As the cutdown to 53 players inches closer, several names are carrying training camp momentum into preseason games — making their cases for one of the very few available openings the regular season squad will have to offer.

The race to a roster spot will ramp up in intensity yet again next week, as the Patriots will play host to the Philadelphia Eagles for two highly-anticipated joint practice sessions on Wednesday and Thursday and preseason game number two on Saturday night.

What were your biggest takeaways from the Patriots’ tie against the Colts? Drop your thoughts in the comments below and join the conversation on Patriots Roundtable.

–

Follow Eddie on Patriots Roundtable

Related Articles:

- New England Patriots Tie Indianapolis Colts, 13-13, In 2026 Preseason Opener

- What to Watch For: New England Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts Preseason Week 1

- Observations From the New England Patriots Joint Practice with the Indianapolis Colts

- Key Matchups to Watch For at New England Patriots-Indianapolis Colts Joint Practice

- New England Patriots Dark Horses: 5 Players Who Could Make the 53-Man Roster

Check out the Patriots Roundtable Podcast!

YouTube

Spotify

Apple Podcasts