The New England Patriots came out swinging in their preseason opener against the Washington Commanders on Friday night.
It felt like a regular season game for the Patriots.
This was the first showing of the new-look team under coach Mike Vrabel. They wanted to come out on game night and make a statement, and they did so emphatically at the expense of the Commanders in a 48-18 victory.
While the Commanders opted to rest most of their projected starters, the Patriots decided to play many of their starters in the game. Some only played for a couple of drives, so there wasn't enough football from everyone to make a clear distinction between a stud or dud performance.