FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts — The scoreboard said 13–13, but for Patriots fans watching Mike Vrabel’s team take the field against the Indianapolis Colts, the preseason opener offered something more important than a meaningless August result: an early glimpse of the identity New England is trying to build.
The Patriots didn’t win Thursday night at Gillette Stadium, but there were moments when Vrabel’s fingerprints were impossible to miss. New England’s defense attacked the football relentlessly, forcing four turnovers — two interceptions and two fumble recoveries — while the Patriots offense did not give the ball away once. New England carried a 13–7 advantage into the fourth quarter, only to watch Indianapolis rally and escape with a 13–13 tie.
For Vrabel, that combination of encouraging signs and frustrating mistakes may have been exactly what preseason football is supposed to reveal.
The defense looked aggressive. Kindle Vildor and John Saunders Jr. came away with interceptions, while New England also produced two critical fumble recoveries near the goal line. Those weren’t meaningless plays from players simply trying to survive August. They reflected the kind of physical, opportunistic football Vrabel wants associated with the Patriots.
But there was another side to the night.
New England struggled to finish drives, converted only 28 percent of its third downs, committed penalties that erased productive offensive plays and missed three field goals. Those mistakes prevented a game the Patriots had multiple opportunities to control from becoming a victory.
And that’s where Vrabel’s presence becomes important.
This isn’t supposed to be a Patriots team satisfied with looking competitive. Vrabel knows better than almost anyone what the standard in New England once represented. During his playing career, he helped build it. Now his challenge is creating a new version of it for a completely different generation.
Even his sideline demeanor reflected that mentality. When officials initially ruled Anthony Richardson down on a play that Vrabel believed was a fumble, the Patriots coach aggressively threw his challenge flag. The ruling ultimately helped highlight another New England takeaway, and the moment quickly became one of the lasting images of the preseason opener.
There is still plenty to fix. Drake Maye and many established starters didn’t play, young players are still fighting for roster spots, and one preseason game tells us very little about what New England will become when the regular season begins.
But Thursday night showed something Patriots fans have been waiting to see: energy, physicality and a defense hunting for the football.
The Patriots aren’t back because of one preseason performance.
They aren’t supposed to be.
But if Vrabel can turn those flashes into consistency — while eliminating the mistakes that allowed a winnable game to slip away — New England may be laying the foundation for something worth believing in.
So after the first look at Vrabel’s 2026 Patriots, the question feels even more interesting: Who still believes Mike Vrabel can bring New England all the way back? ❤️💙🏈