The Patriots preseason vs Colts matchup ended in a 13-13 tie at Gillette Stadium, a result that felt fitting for a preseason opener heavy on backups and light on answers. The game finished 13-13 after a late tying kick and offered a mix of encouraging individual plays, special-teams clues and clear areas that need attention as camp carries on.
Game recap: Patriots preseason vs Colts — 13-13 tie at Gillette Stadium
The contest was defined more by situational football than by offensive fireworks. Spencer Shrader’s late field goal produced the 13-13 result fans left Gillette Stadium remembering; Alec Shane framed the night as a personnel evaluation more than a statement about the regular-season outlook. Starters saw limited action, and the narrative centered on how reserve players and specialists performed under pressure.
Shane emphasized that preseason games often act as a memory test for young players and an extended audition for special-teams roles. On this night the Patriots showed flashes in coverage and receiving depth but also revealed the kind of sloppy tackling and inconsistent kicking that tend to decide jobs in late August. Those mixed signals are why Pats Pulpit’s write-up reads as cautious optimism rather than bold proclamation.
Quarterback notebook: Tommy DeVito and the backup look
Backup play was one of the clearer storylines in this opener. Tommy DeVito finished 13-of-22 for 138 yards and a touchdown, a line Alec Shane called “solid” for a quarterback operating as a non-starter in a preseason setting. DeVito delivered clean decision-making on intermediate throws and avoided high-risk errors — the sort of tape that can keep a backup QB’s stock stable through roster cuts.
As Shane notes, DeVito’s night is evidence of reliability rather than definitive proof of pecking order; preseason sample sizes are small and context matters. Fans should treat DeVito’s performance as a constructive data point for the backup conversation while remembering that coaching staffs weigh practice habits, game reps, and roster construction together.
Special teams and tackling: what moved the needle
Special teams and tackling stood out as the most actionable takeaways from the game. Alec Shane flagged both areas repeatedly: special-teams units were patchwork, and tackling was uneven in spots. The kicker role remains a live roster question after the late field-goal sequence that tied the game.
The piece also raised — explicitly labeled as opinion — an unverified explanation that a long-snapper hiccup may have contributed to early kicking issues affecting Andy Borregales. That hypothesis comes from Shane’s observational notes and is not presented as a confirmed team diagnosis. It’s a reminder to fans that many preseason narratives are speculative until the team confirms personnel or injury details.
Special-teams performance is one of the most reliable short-term predictors of who sticks on the 53-man roster because many fringe players make the team through kicking, coverage and return roles. On August night at Gillette, a handful of coverage plays impressed, but the inconsistent tackling undercut some otherwise promising moments.
Lesser-known players who stood out
Shane listed several under-the-radar players who generated attention during the preseason opener. These names represent the sort of depth contributors who can stick if they consistently perform on special teams and in limited offensive/defensive snaps. Alec Shane’s notes are the source for the following table and descriptions.
Roster context and early questions
Shane reminded readers that the Patriots currently carried 12 wide receivers in camp, creating a crowded competition where special teams and small-window plays become decisive. With that many receivers, practice performance and preseason snaps carry outsized importance for roster hopefuls.
The article stresses caution around reading coaching decisions into any single game. If you want earlier coach comments that help frame how Mike Vrabel views competition, see the team’s press availability collected during camp: Mike Vrabel Press Conference 6 9. Shane’s approach is deliberately skeptical about projecting final rosters from one preseason performance.
Key takeaways and what remains unclear
- Final score: a 13-13 tie that underscores how preseason is more about evaluation than outcome.
- Tommy DeVito: a tidy relief/back-up night (13-of-22, 138 yards, TD) — useful tape, not a forecast.
- Special teams and tackling: the clearest near-term roster determinants; both units require steadier performance.
- Under-the-radar names: several camp players earned notice, but Shane cautions none are locks yet.
- Injury and personnel clarity: Ben Brown walking to the locker room is a positive sign, but details remain limited publicly.
Shane’s column repeatedly stresses uncertainty: fan excitement is real, but prediction is premature. Where the writer speculates — for instance, about a possible long-snapper issue affecting kicks — those are explicitly framed as author observation rather than team-confirmed facts. Readers should expect the next two preseason games to clarify special-teams reliability and give more robust evaluation windows for fringe roster players.
Source attribution
This article preserves observations from Alec Shane’s Pats Pulpit fan notes from Aug 14, 2026. For the full original piece and context, see Alec Shane, Pats Pulpit: Fan Notes from Patriots vs. Colts Preseason Game One. Photo credit for the tying kick image: Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images (Spencer Shrader’s tying kick at Gillette Stadium). The analysis above attributes all evaluative claims and player shout-outs to Alec Shane; speculative lines are labeled as such and should not be treated as confirmed team moves.
What remains unclear: the team’s final special-teams alignment, the roster moves tied to the 12 WRs in camp, and any internal injury details beyond what Shane observed. Expect clearer answers after additional preseason reps and official team releases.
