FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — With most of the New England Patriots’ starters sidelined for the preseason opener, there weren’t a ton of standout plays in their 13-13 tie Thursday against the Indianapolis Colts. But the team got what you’d generally hope for out of a preseason game.
They mostly stayed healthy. Some young players had some nice moments. And now they can turn the page to a pair of joint practices with the Philadelphia Eagles next week before their second preseason game next Saturday. If the Patriots starters — like Drake Maye — play in any of the three exhibition games, it’ll be that one.
But before transitioning to next week, let’s look at whose stock rose and whose fell on Thursday night at Gillette Stadium.
Top Plays from Colts @ Patriots
Risers
Kyle Williams, WR
After a slow start to training camp, Williams came down with the Patriots’ lone touchdown on a play that showed why coaches are still excited about his potential — even if he has been relegated to playing mostly with the backups in practice.
From the 12-yard line, Williams got off the line of scrimmage with ease, showing his ability to release quickly. Coach Mike Vrabel has mentioned that the Patriots will have a distinct role for Williams, and maybe that’s in the red zone where fine-tuned breaks at the top of a route, an area where Williams has struggled, aren’t as necessary.
Later in the game, Williams caught a downfield hitch and broke a tackle for a 25-yard gain. Quarterback Tommy DeVito looked to him on a go route on the very next play, but Williams didn’t cut back inside for the ball, which appeared to frustrate Vrabel on the sideline. Still, it was a positive night overall for Williams.
Kindle Vildor, CB
The race for the Patriots’ final cornerback jobs is an important one with Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis dealing with injuries. The Colts got the better of the New England corners in Tuesday’s joint practice, but the Patriots responded well on Thursday.
Vildor showed great instincts in the first quarter, leaving his wide receiver to drive downhill as quarterback Anthony Richardson locked onto a target in the flat. The pass bounced off the hands of Coleman Owen, and Vildor was there to nab the interception.
Vildor increased his chances of being the team’s No. 5 cornerback.
Jam Miller, RB
The Patriots were dealt a blow before the game when they announced that running back Terrell Jennings had suffered a season-ending injury. Jennings was the favorite to win the No. 3 running back job while also playing on special teams.
Now, that job will likely come down to Miller, a rookie seventh-round pick, or Lan Larison, an undrafted free agent in 2025 who missed last season due to injury.
Miller was the more productive back Thursday night. He turned 14 carries into 55 yards, while Larison had just 1 rushing yard on seven carries, though he did add 38 receiving yards on six catches.
Miller ran a 4.42 40-yard dash before the draft and would bring speed to the run game while being an option to return kicks.
Eric Gregory, DT
The Patriots could use depth on the interior of the defensive line behind Milton Williams and Christian Barmore, and Gregory could fit that billing. He has size (319 pounds) that the Pats otherwise lack on defense.
Gregory made a nice move in the third quarter to put pressure on Colts quarterback Riley Leonard and forced an underthrown ball that led to a John Saunders interception.
Bradyn Swinson, Edge
With Harold Landry still out due to injury, the Patriots need their backup edge rushers to step up. Against the Colts, Swinson did.
He looked capable against the run, notching an impressive stuff of Roydell Williams, and in the pass rush, getting into the backfield with Gregory to help force a bad throw. He also batted down a pass to get the Patriots defense off the field.
Fallers
Mack Hollins, WR
The veteran played more snaps than any other Patriots receiver a year ago, a sign of how highly coaches think of him. That’s part of why it seems safe to say he’ll again have a role in this offense.
But while Williams helped his stock, Hollins had a pass go through his hands on a second-and-8 slant and caught only two of his four targets for 24 yards.
Interior O-line depth
It was a surprise this offseason that the Patriots didn’t do more to improve their depth on the interior offensive line, especially considering the injury history of new left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker.
They put a lot of faith in the versatility of Ben Brown, who is capable of being the backup at both guard and center.
The Pats were dealt a tough blow Thursday when Brown suffered an injury that forced his removal from the game. Without Brown, undrafted rookie Jacob Rizy is the team’s lone backup center. The only other with experience there would be Andrew Rupcich, who also left the game due to injury.
So, it won’t be a surprise if the Patriots seek more depth there in the coming days.
Andy Borregales, K
The Patriots asked a lot of Borregales on Thursday, teeing him up for field goal attempts of 40, 49, 52, 56 and 57 yards.
Borregales went just 2-of-5, missing from 49, 56 and 57 yards. The latter two are somewhat understandable. But his miss from 49 yards with 13 seconds left in the game was one he’d surely like back.
It wasn’t a perfect start to the preseason for Borregales after he had no competition for the job this summer.
