The New England Patriots' preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts came down to a 49-yard field goal on Thursday night.
Andy Borregales, who has kicked game winners in the past, stepped onto the field after two prior misses. It was the one kick that would have erased the other misses if he could have gotten it through the uprights. The ball was snapped, held and —
No good.
The game ended in a 13-13 tie after the defense held off a couple of desperate attempts by quarterback Riley Leonard and the Colts' offense on the next possession.
There were plenty of teachable moments for the Patriots, who played an up-and-down game out of the gate. Granted, it was the first game of the preseason, and that was bound to be the case with mostly backups on the field.
There were some impressive plays by Patriots backup quarterback Tommy DeVito, who finished the game going 13-of-22 passing for 138 yards and one touchdown. His stat total would have been even higher if multiple big plays, including passes to wideout Cameron Dorner and tight end Eli Raridon, weren't called back for penalties.
The Patriots never could get the ground game going, and by the second half, the offense was stuck in the mud with rookie quarterback Behren Morton under center. That's disappointing considering they were gifted four turnovers by the defense.
Kindle Vildor and John Saunders Jr. each had interceptions, while Dell Pettus and Isaiah Iton bagged a couple of fumbles.
The run defense was a major problem with the Colts averaging 4.9 yards per run on the ground, but the Patriots made up for it by killing drives with turnovers. It was ugly football at its best in Week 1 of the preseason.
The Patriots will take Friday to rest and get back to work over the weekend in preparation for two joint practices and a Week 2 preseason matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles next week.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Instant analysis of Patriots' 13-13 tie with Colts in preseason opener
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