.
The low scoring tie says it all. Backups playing against backups and neither team looked like they really wanted to be there. A year ago, the Patriots had a fresh energy about them in the preseason and now they looked half asleep. The Colts gave Anthony Richardson (11-14 for 145 yards, 0 TD/1 INT, 6-53-1) a chance to start, and you'd hope he'd somehow inspire his backup group that he played with to rise up and try to revitalize his career but he was his usual robot self and the two teams looked like they were playing safe non-contact scrimmage a lot of the time.
The game I scouted before this one was a pure delight with the Cardinals versus the Raiders. I paid the price for my happiness from that game with having to watch this piece of garbage preseason game.
There are a couple things to point out and I'm going to comment on some of my first reactions of the rookies that I saw, but this is definitely no Cardinals-Raiders event.
Player Notes...
-- The biggest take away for me in this game was the performance of Patriots year 2 WR Kyle Williams (0-0-0, 2-37-1/4). He made a couple fantastic plays in this game because the guy can get open at a high level and beat pretty much every man coverage, but the Patriots seem hell bent on pushing Mack Hollins (0-0-0, 2-24-0/2) and Efton Chism III (0-0-0, 2-27-0/3). So, I wouldn't expect much from Kyle Williams this year because even if he somehow makes it into the starting rotation or starting lineup you know they're gonna throw the ball to A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, and Hunter Henry.
It really makes me mad because I thought this was gonna be a perfect spot for Kyle Williams to blow past the lame wide receiver group of the Patriots last year but I don't know what happened or how he pissed off Josh McDaniels or what but it was a wasted rookie season with one or two flash moments, and now the Patriots are going out and spending a fortune on new wide receivers.
I suspect if Kyle Williams is gonna be anything for fantasy in the future he's gonna have to play out his rookie contract with New England and then be discovered by some of the better offensive minds in coaching and get away from these ex-defensive coordinator type head coaches. What a wasted opportunity not developing Kyle Williams more.
https://x.com/jagibbs_23/status/2088388440706461868
-- The Patriots started rookie RB Jam Miller (14-55-0, 0-0-0/1) in this game, and he's a guy that I kind of liked his game in college pre-draft so I was interested in watching him here. And I walked away unmoved one way or the other. All he did was run up the middle and not do anything flashy or attention getting. It's good that he was at least the starter of the backups, but he didn't do much to really stand out or make a difference.
Lan Larison (7-1-0, 6-38-0/8) probably made a bigger impression just because he's so good as a little pass game. He looks and works so much like Danny Woodhead but with less talent.
-- The Colts started Seth McGowan (5-17-0, 0-0-0/0) at running back and DJ Giddens did not play in this game--hamstring injury, not good for DJG.
There is a real battle for the #2 RB spot between DJ Giddens and Seth McGowan. All of my sources on the matter have told me that DJ Giddens seems to be the obvious #2 but the media and local beat reporter reports that I see seem to think Seth McGowan is the stronger #2 RB. Right now, I think it's Giddens.
McGowan played OK here, but he did the same thing that Jam Miller did (run straight up the middle) only he had more holes to operate with running up the middle. Seth McGowan didn't do anything bad, but he didn't do anything to light my world on fire either.
-- Watch a few snaps and the targets to Eli Raridon (0-0-0, 1-8-0/4) Patriots rookie tight end and I was not moved or swayed in any manner whatsoever. It looks like a bit of a stiff, old school tight end and will be very forgettable a few weeks into his rookie season.
-- A quick injury note, I saw Patriots defensive end Gabe Jacas (5 tackles, 0.0 sacks, 0 TFLs, 0 PDs, 0 INTs) starting. At one time there was a fear he was going to miss time into the season with an injury I can't remember, but he was out there playing in this game tonight and looked fine. Nothing spectacular but he was fine.
-- Rookie I watched a couple series of Patriots offensive tackle Dametrious Crownover, an offensive tackle prospect I had some positive interest in doing pre-draft studies. He's a former tight end prospect moved to the offensive line in college and I enjoyed seeing him have some great moments because he has nice footwork but I also see somewhat of the lack of aggression, some passive play where he can get beaten because he's just too slow to react to things sometimes if he gets his feet in the right position in pass protection it's almost impossible to get past him he's such a big body and long wingspan.
He had some good moments and some not as great moments here, but overall it wasn't bad--but it doesn't look like he's impressed to be a potential starter at this point which is understandable. I was hoping to see maybe he developed his game a little more and could be an interesting sleeper draft pick to help a bad Patriots offensive line but it doesn't look like that's going to happen in 2026.
-- I saved the most boring for last... A review/critique of the quarterbacks:
Anthony Richardson (11-14 for 145 yards, 0 TD/1 INT, 6-53-1) started for the Colts and it's the same old Anthony Richardson... Throws the ball flat footed and leaning backwards. There's no confidence in his throws. He's obviously got all the physical tools to be a linebacker or running back in the NFL but alas he is a quarterback...and all he's good for is running the ball. I see not an ounce of development in his pass game period--he looks the same exact way he did a couple years ago when he started melting down. All the physical tools in the world but can't put it together to play legit NFL QB.
Tools are overrated in the NFL at many positions, and especially quarterback. Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Dan Marino, and Drew Brees are among the best QB talents to ever play in the modern NFL and not a one of them is some tools loaded athlete at the position.
Riley Leonard (10-21 for 89 yards, 0 TD/1 INT, 2-11-0) relieved Anthony Richardson and looked like he usually does...a competent backup QB to run the offense in an emergency. There's no future star here.
Tommy DeVito (13-22 for 138 yards, 1 TD/0 INT, 2-4-0) started for the Patriots and looked like the best technical QB in this game, but he still looks and operates like a backup QB at this point.
Rookie Behren Morton (7-13 for 66 yards, 0 TD/0 INT, 1-(-1)-0) came in to finish the game for New England and looked very uncomfortable in his brief appearance.
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MAINSTREAM GEMINI report on the game...
Based on a scan of news reports, team coverage, and beat coverage following the Patriots and Colts 13-13 preseason opener tie at Gillette Stadium, here are the top 10 most MAINSTREAM discussed players, units, and storylines, ranked from most heavily covered down to #10:
Top 10 Takeaways: Colts vs. Patriots Preseason Opener
- Christian Gonzalez's Unexpected Absence & Health Status The single biggest story across beat reports was star cornerback Christian Gonzalez being among eight players out of uniform and absent from the bench/locker room setup. After taking a hard fall late in practice earlier in the week while contesting a pass, head coach Mike Vrabel clarified postgame that Gonzalez was "physically unavailable for the practice" along with a few other veterans. His health and extension situation remain the top talked-about topic across all local outlets.
- Anthony Richardson's High-Volume First Half Performance With starter Daniel Jones resting alongside most first-team regulars, Anthony Richardson played the entire first half in his return to game action. Despite a rocky start that included a tipped interception and a lost fumble, Richardson found a strong rhythm, completing 11 of 14 passes for 145 yards while adding 53 yards and a touchdown on six carries. His 78.6% completion mark and dynamic rushing ability dominated the Indianapolis media narrative.
- WR Kyle Williams Flashing Big-Play Potential Widely named Player of the Game across major New England media sites and fan blogs, second-year wideout Kyle Williams stood out in a crowded wide receiver room where top options rested. Williams displayed impressive speed and a refined release package, finishing with two catches for 37 yards and a touchdown after beating Colts CB Johnathan Edwards on a 12-yard crossover release fade.
- Patriots First-Round OT Caleb Lomu's NFL Debut There was heavy film focus on rookie offensive tackle Caleb Lomu, who logged 39 first-half snaps at right tackle. Evaluators noted solid 1-on-1 pass protection against edge rushers Michael Clemons and George Gumbs Jr., plus good awareness picking up second-level blitzes, though he surrendered one pressure due to a play-action protection miscommunication and was flagged for being an ineligible man downfield on a negated big play.
- Patriots RB3 Battle: Jam Miller vs. Lan Larison The depth chart shifted heavily pre-game with Terrell Jennings being placed on injured reserve and Myles Montgomery waived-injured, thrusting the RB3 battle into focus. Seventh-rounder Jam Miller brought power between the tackles, leading the team with 14 carries for 55 yards, including a 15-yard long run. In contrast, second-year back Lan Larison served as the primary pass-catching and special teams option, logging 40 snaps with six receptions for 38 yards plus kickoff return duties.
- Backup QB Tommy DeVito's Up-and-Down First Half With Drake Maye resting, Tommy DeVito got the start and handled primary quarterback duties for the entire first half for New England. While he threw a touchdown pass to Kyle Williams and finished 13-of-22 for 128 yards, beat writers noted that DeVito was uncharacteristically inconsistent on deep throws compared to joint practices, notably underthrowing Williams on what could have been a second long touchdown right before halftime.
- Edge Rusher Gabe Jacas' High-Energy Debut Second-round rookie edge defender Gabe Jacas flashed raw physical power while demonstrating areas that still need refinement. Jacas registered a key run stop and pressured Anthony Richardson on a throw that led to a Kindle Vildor interception, but his over-aggressiveness was exploited on a 22-yard read-option keeper by Richardson and a delayed screen pass to Alec Ogletree.
- Indy's Backup QB Battle & Riley Leonard's Stint Behind Richardson's first-half run, rookie quarterback Riley Leonard took over for Indianapolis in the second half as part of the Colts' ongoing competition for the primary backup spot. Leonard completed 10 of 21 passes for 89 yards and threw a deep interception to John Saunders Jr. Beat reports noted that Leonard will flip roles and start the first half in next week's preseason game against Atlanta.
- Rookie TE Eli Raridon's Dynamic Touches Beyond the Box Score While his official stat line showed just one catch for 8 yards on 4 targets across 35 snaps, beat writers singled out Eli Raridon's performance as far more encouraging than the raw numbers suggested. The tight end had a 24-yard bootleg reception wiped out by an offensive penalty, showed strong quick-release traits against blitzes, and threw a crucial perimeter block on Jam Miller's 15-yard run.
- Depth Defensive Rotations & Special Teams Drama Both teams showcased significant depth rotation down the stretch, with late-game execution defining the 13-13 tie. Colts kicker Spencer Shrader drilled a game-tying 61-yard field goal with 1:16 remaining, while New England's potential game-winner by Andres Borregales missed wide left from 49 yards out with 13 seconds left on the clock.
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