Patriots preseason tie ended in a 13-13 deadlock Thursday night at Gillette Stadium after New England missed three long field-goal attempts and Indianapolis’ rookie kicker drilled a 61-yard attempt with 1:16 remaining to force the finish. The kicking sequence — Andy Borregales missing from 56, 55 and 49 yards while Spencer Shrader answered with the 61-yarder — was the decisive swing in a game that featured multiple turnovers and several roster absences.
Patriots preseason tie — quick game snapshot
The preseason opener between the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts finished 13-13. The Colts tied the game on Spencer Shrader‘s 61-yard field goal with 1:16 left. Andy Borregales missed three long attempts (56, 55 and a 49-yarder with 0:13 left) that would have given New England the lead or the win.
Scoring timeline and key plays
Below is a concise timeline of the scoring plays and notable clock context to show how the game unfolded.
After the scoring timeline, the game featured momentum swings driven by turnovers and special-teams plays rather than sustained scoring drives by either club.
Kicking and special teams — what went wrong and why it matters
The kicking sequence defined the outcome. Andy Borregales missed three long attempts from 56, 55 and 49 yards. The 49-yarder came with 13 seconds left and would have put the Patriots in front late in the fourth quarter.
On the other sideline, Indianapolis’ Spencer Shrader made a 61-yard field goal with 1:16 remaining to tie the game. That single make erased New England’s late chance and highlighted a stark contrast in leg strength and execution on long-distance attempts.
The misses raise immediate questions about New England’s kicking depth and special-teams reliability entering the regular season. In preseason play — where roster decisions and competition are still fluid — a pattern of missed long attempts can affect roster priorities and the evaluation of both the kicker and the protection units tasked with providing consistent timing for long tries.
Quarterbacks and turnovers
Anthony Richardson made an impact for the Colts and finished the night 11 of 14 for 145 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown sneak. He also had two turnovers: he lost a fumble and suffered a tipped pass that resulted in an interception by Kindle Vildor. Indianapolis finished the game with four turnovers total, a number that limited sustained offensive drives.
For New England, backup Tommy DeVito went 13 of 22 for 128 yards in the first half and connected on a 12-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Williams. The Patriots’ defense forced plays that swung field position, with interceptions credited to Kindle Vildor and John Saunders Jr..
Injuries, absences and roster notes
The Patriots rested most starters, including Drake Maye. One notable absence: cornerback Christian Gonzalez did not appear for pregame warmups or sit on the sideline after missing the team’s joint practice earlier in the week. Media reports link his absence to ongoing contract-extension talks; that connection remains unconfirmed and should be treated as such. For background on that situation see the team’s reporting on christian gonzalez.
Injury notes from the game: center Ben Brown left in the second quarter and later walked to the locker room. Guard Andrew Rupcich walked off early in the fourth, visited the medical tent and remained on the sideline. Those exits were described by team and beat reporters as precautionary walk-offs rather than definitive diagnoses; official injury reports will provide clarity. Teams often adjust practice plans and monitor status through the regular weekly injury-report process.
What this means for the preseason and next steps
There is no overtime in NFL preseason games, so the kickoff concluded in a tie. From an evaluation perspective, the takeaways are clear: kicking performance and special-teams consistency will be areas of focus for New England’s staff in the coming days, and the kicking competition could influence roster decisions before Week 1.
Both teams have another preseason test on Aug. 22: Indianapolis hosts Atlanta, and the Patriots are scheduled to host Philadelphia. Expect coaches to continue testing depth, trim rosters and monitor injury reports between now and the next game.
Source attribution and verification
This report is grounded in the Associated Press story published by The Portland Press Herald. You can read the original game report here: Patriots settle for tie in preseason opener — Portland Press Herald/Associated Press. Items linking personal matters or contract negotiations — including reporting about Dianna Russini and Coach Mike Vrabel or the suggestion that Christian Gonzalez‘s absence is tied to an extension — were reported by the source but remain unconfirmed by the team and are presented here with uncertainty language.
Verification notes: injury statuses and roster moves cited in this story should be confirmed against official Patriots injury reports or team announcements before being used for roster decisions or player-status reporting. When the team posts updated injury reports or releases additional statements, this story will be updated and timestamped accordingly.
