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It’s Colts Week.
For the first time in the 2026 season, the New England Patriots will face an opponent aside from themselves, as the Indianapolis Colts are set to head up to Foxboro for the preseason opener on Thursday night.
While it will be exciting to have Patriots football back in a more official capacity later this week, the more telling litmus test will take place on the practice fields behind Gillette Stadium on Tuesday. New England will host Indianapolis for a joint practice session preceding the game, where in all likelihood, starters on both sides will play a much larger role through high-intensity individual drills and team periods.
Here are five key matchups we’ll be on the lookout for when the Patriots and Colts square off at joint practice on Tuesday:
Jul 28, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (1) walks to practice for training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
All eyes at practice will be fixed on the boundary Tuesday afternoon, where A.J. Brown and Sauce Gardner will line up opposite each other.
Brown has clearly asserted himself as the top receiver on New England’s depth chart since his June 1st acquisition in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. And since the pads have come on in training camp, the former All-Pro’s connection with Drake Maye has ascended to new heights. Brown’s early involvement across different alignments in the Patriots’ offense has been an encouraging early sign, even when facing off against one of the NFL’s best in Christian Gonzalez.
Now, Brown will have his wish for fresh competition granted — and will be greeted by another top-tier cornerback in Gardner. A familiar face for the Patriots, Gardner began his career with the New York Jets before a blockbuster trade sent him to Indianapolis in exchange for two first round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell on November 4, 2025. He was previously named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2022 and selected as First Team All-Pro in 2022 and 2023, making him the first cornerback since the AFL-NFL merger to earn that recognition in each of his first two seasons. The battle between the two will be tightly contested and closely monitored.
Beyond Brown and Gardner, New England’s depth at receiver will be challenged against a veteran Colts’ cornerback rotation that finished the 2025 season top-10 in takeaways (21) and opposing passer rating allowed (88.0).
Running as the number-two cornerback beside Gardner in the Indianapolis secondary is Charvarius Ward, who was brought in from the San Francisco 49ers in 2025. Ward only played in seven games before landing on season-ending injured reserve. He’ll be the matchup for Romeo Doubs, Kayshon Boutte, and the Patriots’ receivers aligning wide to the field opposite Brown — and a good one at that. Ward previously led the NFL with 23 pass breakups in 2023 and was named a Second Team All-Pro the same season.
In the slot, DeMario Douglas and Efton Chism III will likely be met by free agent acquisition Cam Taylor-Britt, a former Cincinnati Bengal who will be taking over for the long-tenured Kenny Moore II. Rookie safety A.J. Haulcy will also be worth watching over the middle of the field, as the hard-hitting LSU product has quickly worked his way into favor with a strong summer showing for the Colts.
One of the deepest groups on the Patriots’ roster will face off against one of the strongest units Indianapolis has to offer when joint practice commences, peeling back another layer in one of the most vital battleground positions this preseason.
Jul 28, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) throws a pass during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Thursday night’s game setting may feature a heavy dose of the backup signal callers, but Tuesday’s practice will be led by Drake Maye and Daniel Jones.
Maye enters focused on the continuing process of building chemistry with new additions Brown and Doubs on the outside, and will do so against a defensive scheme reminiscent of those that presented challenges for the young gunslinger during last season’s playoff run. The Colts generated a high percentage of pressures from simulated looks in 2025 (7.7%), blitzing on nearly 30% of opponents’ dropbacks and running one of the most diverse back-end coverage shells in the league that featured Cover 3 (26.6%), Cover 2 (23.9%), and Cover 1 (23.1%) prominently, per MatchQuarters.
The early returns on Maye against similar looks have been promising against an uber-aggressive New England defense in training camp, with more emphasis on his command at the line of scrimmage pre-snap and hastening tempo between plays. Indianapolis will be another unit to throw the kitchen sink at Maye, further testing his growth in those areas prior to the regular season.
When taking snaps opposite the Patriots’ defense, Colts’ quarterback Daniel Jones will be seeing his first new competition since being placed on season-ending injured reserve on December 9, 2025. Jones’ 13 games with Indianapolis last fall were his most promising to date, totalling 3,101 passing yards, 19 touchdown passes, and eight interceptions with a career-best passer rating of 100.2.
He’ll be shorter-staffed in the receiver room than he was last season, with Michael Pittman Jr. now a target for the Pittsburgh Steelers following a March 13 trade and Alec Pierce in the midst of an extended absence due to offseason ankle surgery. Their remaining top option out wide would be Maye’s former number-one receiver at North Carolina, Josh Downs, but his availability is also in doubt after missing Saturday’s practice with a groin injury.
New England’s secondary will also be missing components, as Mike Vrabel confirmed that Carlton Davis III will miss more time recovering from a leg injury suffered last week and Charles Woods’ future hanging in the balance with his own health concerns. Thinning rooms on both sides will either pave a path for Jones’ success, or for the Patriots’ depth at cornerback to step to the forefront.
Jul 28, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots offensive lineman Jared Wilson (55) and guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (75) do a drill with quarterback Drake Maye (10) during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
The greatest sign of New England’s offseason development will come in the trenches. Heavy investments were made to fortify the offensive line in front of Maye and along the defensive front to generate more consistent pressure in the backfield. Now, those moving pieces will see live reps against a new opponent for the first time this summer.
On the offensive line, the most significant changes up front came in the interior — where Jared Wilson slid down from left guard to center and Alijah Vera-Tucker was brought in from New York to bridge the gap between he and left tackle Will Campbell. Wilson and Vera-Tucker will be tasked with slowing down DeForest Buckner: a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro who has accrued 71.5 sacks and 97 tackles for loss in his 10-year career.
Campbell’s first look at new edge rushers this offseason will be highlighted by a matchup against Laiatu Latu — the Colts’ No. 15 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft who led Indianapolis with 12 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks in 2025.
The Patriots’ plan at right tackle has been a daily decision, with Morgan Moses missing several sessions for veteran load management and opening the door for more significant contributions from 2026 first round pick Caleb Lomu. Whether he’s running primarily with the first-team offense or not, Lomu’s performance on Tuesday — and the subsequent possibility of extended playing time on Thursday — will be worth watching for.
It will be strength-on-strength for the New England defensive front when lining up across from a Colts’ offensive line that features All-Pro left guard Quinton Nelson. He’s sure to give Christian Barmore, Milton Williams & co. all they can handle along the interior. On the perimeter of the line, left tackle Berhnard Raimann — who graded out as the 12th-best tackle in the NFL in 2025 (per PFF) — will be tasked with slowing down an evolving edge rushing group that currently features Dre’Mont Jones, Elijah Ponder, and Gabe Jacas.
A switch in the Patriots’ philosophical approach at edge rusher this offseason was driven by a desire to become more sturdy against outside runs — Indianapolis’ bread-and-butter with a backfield led by Jonathan Taylor. The former Offensive Player of the Year and two-time All-Pro finished the 2025 season with 1,585 rushing yards and a league-best 18 rushing touchdowns while gaining 4.9 yards per carry. He just signed a two-year, $44 million contract extension on August 6, and will once again reclaim his role as the bell-cow of the Colts’ offense. Taylor’s heavy involvement for Indianapolis will be on display Tuesday, and is sure to put pressure on New England’s new additions along the defensive front.
Jul 25, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Tanner Arkin (84) looks on after a drill at training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Several of the Patriots’ training camp standouts are new arrivals and/or unproven rookies — framing this joint practice as their first crack at proving their merit against players in a similar standing elsewhere. For some of New England’s developmental prospects, that will mean lining up one-on-one against starting-caliber competition. For others, it will be an opportunity to show that they belong in that discussion.
Lomu and Jacas will draw attention as the Patriots’ top choices in the 2026 NFL Draft, but with both of their spots already penned into the opening-day roster, more focus should be placed on those younger players that have earned reps through competition this summer.
As New England has looked to re-invent the tight room behind Hunter Henry this offseason, rookies Eli Raridon (selected in the third round, No. 95 overall) and Tanner Arkin (undrafted free agent) have cemented themselves within the first-team offense. Raridon has been a reliable receiving threat, while Arkin has turned heads as an effective on-the-line blocker that’s flexed around the formation. He looks to be filling the role designed for Julian Hill earlier this summer, and a good showing in the preseason could land him a meaningful role on the 53-man roster.
Another undrafted free agent has been working his way up the ranks in Foxboro. Former Missouri Tigers’ linebacker Khalil Jacobs has thus far outpaced other offseason additions, becoming one of the top rotational off-ball backups on the Patriots’ defense. As a blitzer and in coverage, Jacobs has stacked days of impressive outings in camp and will look to secure his place on the roster through preseason action.
Fifth-round pick (No. 171 overall) Karon Prunty has worked his way up the ranks at cornerback for New England, and undrafted free agent Channing Canada may look to join him soon. He’s received more reps with the second-team defense due to the injuries ahead of him on the depth chart. Elsewhere in the secondary, Dell Pettus and Mike Brown will continue battling for the third safety role — a spot that Brown initially held in the spring, but Pettus has recently taken a firm grasp of.
Through two weeks of training camp, the Patriots have relied on younger players to fill the vacancies left by a host of in-house free agents who found new homes for the fall. The contributions from those players helped lift the team to unexpected success last season, and the coaching staff will be looking to produce the same results with those new faces in 2026. Tuesday will be our first look at how well they did restocking the cupboard.
Jun 9, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr holds a press conference before minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Joint practices may be even more valuable to each team’s coaching staff than it is to the players. After weeks of working against the same players and seeing the same plays, both teams will be getting all new looks from their opponents. That’ll reveal the areas where installations are going well, and where improvements still need to be made before they’re ready to roll out in the regular season.
On New England’s sideline, first-year defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr’s aggressive, blitz-centric scheme made headlines during the 2025 playoffs when he was filling in for Terrell Williams. Now responsible for the defensive playcalls in a more official capacity, Kuhr’s affinity for bringing extra heat has carried over into the early part of training camp. It remains to be seen if that approach will continue through joint practices, preseason games, and eventually the regular season, but Tuesday may be our best indication yet.
Since taking over as offensive coordinator in 2023, Jim Bob Cooter’s group has scored at least 20 points in 38 games — tied for the fifth-most in the NFL during the last three seasons. They’ll test the home defense with a heavy dose of the run and play action, as Jonathan Taylor led the NFL with 323 rushing attempts in 2025 and Daniel Jones finished with the second-highest percentage of play action dropbacks in the league (149 in 13 games, 34.7%, per PFF) among qualifiers.
Offensively, several players are primed for a year-two bump under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Now faced with the challenge of a stout Colts unit led by veteran defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, we’ll see how the Patriots’ early signs of growth in short yardage, no-huddle, and the red zone hold up against a defense that specializes in those areas..
In his first season with Indianapolis in 2025, Anarumo led a group that ranked top-10 in many statistical categories, including red zone takeaways (seven, led the NFL), yards allowed per carry (3.87, second), rushing yards allowed per game (101.9, seventh), opponent yards per play in the red zone (2.40, sixth), total takeaways (21, tied for 10th), and opponent passer rating allowed (88.0, 10th).
When the starters are on the practice field, a chess match between head coaches Mike Vrabel and Shane Steichen will ensue. Their first look at new opponents will present unique challenges on both sidelines and bring a greater sense of validity to the early returns from the summer.
Jul 28, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel watches players warm up for training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
The Patriots’ first inter-squad session of the summer will be a great indicator of how the team stacks up against some of the better competition the AFC has to offer. From the boundary to the trenches, New England’s newest upgrades will be pressure-tested against external competition, providing a clearer picture of their strengths and weaknesses to start the 2026 season.
Which matchups will you be on the lookout for during the Patriots’ joint practice with the Colts? Drop your thoughts in the comments below and join the conversation on Patriots Roundtable.
–
Follow Eddie on Patriots Roundtable
Related Articles:
- Offense Pulls Ahead in First Padded Practices of New England Patriots Training Camp
- 10 Key Takeaways from Week One of New England Patriots Training Camp 2026
- 5 Position Battles to Watch For at New England Patriots Training Camp 2026: Defense
- 5 Position Battles to Watch For at New England Patriots Training Camp 2026: Offense
Check out the Patriots Roundtable Podcast!
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For the first time in the 2026 season, the New England Patriots will face an opponent aside from themselves, as the Indianapolis Colts are set to head up to Foxboro for the preseason opener on Thursday night.
While it will be exciting to have Patriots football back in a more official capacity later this week, the more telling litmus test will take place on the practice fields behind Gillette Stadium on Tuesday. New England will host Indianapolis for a joint practice session preceding the game, where in all likelihood, starters on both sides will play a much larger role through high-intensity individual drills and team periods.
Here are five key matchups we’ll be on the lookout for when the Patriots and Colts square off at joint practice on Tuesday:
On the Boundary
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Jul 28, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (1) walks to practice for training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
All eyes at practice will be fixed on the boundary Tuesday afternoon, where A.J. Brown and Sauce Gardner will line up opposite each other.
Brown has clearly asserted himself as the top receiver on New England’s depth chart since his June 1st acquisition in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. And since the pads have come on in training camp, the former All-Pro’s connection with Drake Maye has ascended to new heights. Brown’s early involvement across different alignments in the Patriots’ offense has been an encouraging early sign, even when facing off against one of the NFL’s best in Christian Gonzalez.
Now, Brown will have his wish for fresh competition granted — and will be greeted by another top-tier cornerback in Gardner. A familiar face for the Patriots, Gardner began his career with the New York Jets before a blockbuster trade sent him to Indianapolis in exchange for two first round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell on November 4, 2025. He was previously named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2022 and selected as First Team All-Pro in 2022 and 2023, making him the first cornerback since the AFL-NFL merger to earn that recognition in each of his first two seasons. The battle between the two will be tightly contested and closely monitored.
Beyond Brown and Gardner, New England’s depth at receiver will be challenged against a veteran Colts’ cornerback rotation that finished the 2025 season top-10 in takeaways (21) and opposing passer rating allowed (88.0).
Running as the number-two cornerback beside Gardner in the Indianapolis secondary is Charvarius Ward, who was brought in from the San Francisco 49ers in 2025. Ward only played in seven games before landing on season-ending injured reserve. He’ll be the matchup for Romeo Doubs, Kayshon Boutte, and the Patriots’ receivers aligning wide to the field opposite Brown — and a good one at that. Ward previously led the NFL with 23 pass breakups in 2023 and was named a Second Team All-Pro the same season.
In the slot, DeMario Douglas and Efton Chism III will likely be met by free agent acquisition Cam Taylor-Britt, a former Cincinnati Bengal who will be taking over for the long-tenured Kenny Moore II. Rookie safety A.J. Haulcy will also be worth watching over the middle of the field, as the hard-hitting LSU product has quickly worked his way into favor with a strong summer showing for the Colts.
One of the deepest groups on the Patriots’ roster will face off against one of the strongest units Indianapolis has to offer when joint practice commences, peeling back another layer in one of the most vital battleground positions this preseason.
Under Center
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Jul 28, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) throws a pass during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Thursday night’s game setting may feature a heavy dose of the backup signal callers, but Tuesday’s practice will be led by Drake Maye and Daniel Jones.
Maye enters focused on the continuing process of building chemistry with new additions Brown and Doubs on the outside, and will do so against a defensive scheme reminiscent of those that presented challenges for the young gunslinger during last season’s playoff run. The Colts generated a high percentage of pressures from simulated looks in 2025 (7.7%), blitzing on nearly 30% of opponents’ dropbacks and running one of the most diverse back-end coverage shells in the league that featured Cover 3 (26.6%), Cover 2 (23.9%), and Cover 1 (23.1%) prominently, per MatchQuarters.
The early returns on Maye against similar looks have been promising against an uber-aggressive New England defense in training camp, with more emphasis on his command at the line of scrimmage pre-snap and hastening tempo between plays. Indianapolis will be another unit to throw the kitchen sink at Maye, further testing his growth in those areas prior to the regular season.
When taking snaps opposite the Patriots’ defense, Colts’ quarterback Daniel Jones will be seeing his first new competition since being placed on season-ending injured reserve on December 9, 2025. Jones’ 13 games with Indianapolis last fall were his most promising to date, totalling 3,101 passing yards, 19 touchdown passes, and eight interceptions with a career-best passer rating of 100.2.
He’ll be shorter-staffed in the receiver room than he was last season, with Michael Pittman Jr. now a target for the Pittsburgh Steelers following a March 13 trade and Alec Pierce in the midst of an extended absence due to offseason ankle surgery. Their remaining top option out wide would be Maye’s former number-one receiver at North Carolina, Josh Downs, but his availability is also in doubt after missing Saturday’s practice with a groin injury.
New England’s secondary will also be missing components, as Mike Vrabel confirmed that Carlton Davis III will miss more time recovering from a leg injury suffered last week and Charles Woods’ future hanging in the balance with his own health concerns. Thinning rooms on both sides will either pave a path for Jones’ success, or for the Patriots’ depth at cornerback to step to the forefront.
In the Trenches
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Jul 28, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots offensive lineman Jared Wilson (55) and guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (75) do a drill with quarterback Drake Maye (10) during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
The greatest sign of New England’s offseason development will come in the trenches. Heavy investments were made to fortify the offensive line in front of Maye and along the defensive front to generate more consistent pressure in the backfield. Now, those moving pieces will see live reps against a new opponent for the first time this summer.
On the offensive line, the most significant changes up front came in the interior — where Jared Wilson slid down from left guard to center and Alijah Vera-Tucker was brought in from New York to bridge the gap between he and left tackle Will Campbell. Wilson and Vera-Tucker will be tasked with slowing down DeForest Buckner: a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro who has accrued 71.5 sacks and 97 tackles for loss in his 10-year career.
Campbell’s first look at new edge rushers this offseason will be highlighted by a matchup against Laiatu Latu — the Colts’ No. 15 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft who led Indianapolis with 12 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks in 2025.
The Patriots’ plan at right tackle has been a daily decision, with Morgan Moses missing several sessions for veteran load management and opening the door for more significant contributions from 2026 first round pick Caleb Lomu. Whether he’s running primarily with the first-team offense or not, Lomu’s performance on Tuesday — and the subsequent possibility of extended playing time on Thursday — will be worth watching for.
It will be strength-on-strength for the New England defensive front when lining up across from a Colts’ offensive line that features All-Pro left guard Quinton Nelson. He’s sure to give Christian Barmore, Milton Williams & co. all they can handle along the interior. On the perimeter of the line, left tackle Berhnard Raimann — who graded out as the 12th-best tackle in the NFL in 2025 (per PFF) — will be tasked with slowing down an evolving edge rushing group that currently features Dre’Mont Jones, Elijah Ponder, and Gabe Jacas.
A switch in the Patriots’ philosophical approach at edge rusher this offseason was driven by a desire to become more sturdy against outside runs — Indianapolis’ bread-and-butter with a backfield led by Jonathan Taylor. The former Offensive Player of the Year and two-time All-Pro finished the 2025 season with 1,585 rushing yards and a league-best 18 rushing touchdowns while gaining 4.9 yards per carry. He just signed a two-year, $44 million contract extension on August 6, and will once again reclaim his role as the bell-cow of the Colts’ offense. Taylor’s heavy involvement for Indianapolis will be on display Tuesday, and is sure to put pressure on New England’s new additions along the defensive front.
Camp Standouts
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Jul 25, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Tanner Arkin (84) looks on after a drill at training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Several of the Patriots’ training camp standouts are new arrivals and/or unproven rookies — framing this joint practice as their first crack at proving their merit against players in a similar standing elsewhere. For some of New England’s developmental prospects, that will mean lining up one-on-one against starting-caliber competition. For others, it will be an opportunity to show that they belong in that discussion.
Lomu and Jacas will draw attention as the Patriots’ top choices in the 2026 NFL Draft, but with both of their spots already penned into the opening-day roster, more focus should be placed on those younger players that have earned reps through competition this summer.
As New England has looked to re-invent the tight room behind Hunter Henry this offseason, rookies Eli Raridon (selected in the third round, No. 95 overall) and Tanner Arkin (undrafted free agent) have cemented themselves within the first-team offense. Raridon has been a reliable receiving threat, while Arkin has turned heads as an effective on-the-line blocker that’s flexed around the formation. He looks to be filling the role designed for Julian Hill earlier this summer, and a good showing in the preseason could land him a meaningful role on the 53-man roster.
Another undrafted free agent has been working his way up the ranks in Foxboro. Former Missouri Tigers’ linebacker Khalil Jacobs has thus far outpaced other offseason additions, becoming one of the top rotational off-ball backups on the Patriots’ defense. As a blitzer and in coverage, Jacobs has stacked days of impressive outings in camp and will look to secure his place on the roster through preseason action.
Fifth-round pick (No. 171 overall) Karon Prunty has worked his way up the ranks at cornerback for New England, and undrafted free agent Channing Canada may look to join him soon. He’s received more reps with the second-team defense due to the injuries ahead of him on the depth chart. Elsewhere in the secondary, Dell Pettus and Mike Brown will continue battling for the third safety role — a spot that Brown initially held in the spring, but Pettus has recently taken a firm grasp of.
Through two weeks of training camp, the Patriots have relied on younger players to fill the vacancies left by a host of in-house free agents who found new homes for the fall. The contributions from those players helped lift the team to unexpected success last season, and the coaching staff will be looking to produce the same results with those new faces in 2026. Tuesday will be our first look at how well they did restocking the cupboard.
Chess Match
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Jun 9, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr holds a press conference before minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Joint practices may be even more valuable to each team’s coaching staff than it is to the players. After weeks of working against the same players and seeing the same plays, both teams will be getting all new looks from their opponents. That’ll reveal the areas where installations are going well, and where improvements still need to be made before they’re ready to roll out in the regular season.
On New England’s sideline, first-year defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr’s aggressive, blitz-centric scheme made headlines during the 2025 playoffs when he was filling in for Terrell Williams. Now responsible for the defensive playcalls in a more official capacity, Kuhr’s affinity for bringing extra heat has carried over into the early part of training camp. It remains to be seen if that approach will continue through joint practices, preseason games, and eventually the regular season, but Tuesday may be our best indication yet.
Since taking over as offensive coordinator in 2023, Jim Bob Cooter’s group has scored at least 20 points in 38 games — tied for the fifth-most in the NFL during the last three seasons. They’ll test the home defense with a heavy dose of the run and play action, as Jonathan Taylor led the NFL with 323 rushing attempts in 2025 and Daniel Jones finished with the second-highest percentage of play action dropbacks in the league (149 in 13 games, 34.7%, per PFF) among qualifiers.
Offensively, several players are primed for a year-two bump under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Now faced with the challenge of a stout Colts unit led by veteran defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, we’ll see how the Patriots’ early signs of growth in short yardage, no-huddle, and the red zone hold up against a defense that specializes in those areas..
In his first season with Indianapolis in 2025, Anarumo led a group that ranked top-10 in many statistical categories, including red zone takeaways (seven, led the NFL), yards allowed per carry (3.87, second), rushing yards allowed per game (101.9, seventh), opponent yards per play in the red zone (2.40, sixth), total takeaways (21, tied for 10th), and opponent passer rating allowed (88.0, 10th).
When the starters are on the practice field, a chess match between head coaches Mike Vrabel and Shane Steichen will ensue. Their first look at new opponents will present unique challenges on both sidelines and bring a greater sense of validity to the early returns from the summer.
Looking Ahead
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Jul 28, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel watches players warm up for training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
The Patriots’ first inter-squad session of the summer will be a great indicator of how the team stacks up against some of the better competition the AFC has to offer. From the boundary to the trenches, New England’s newest upgrades will be pressure-tested against external competition, providing a clearer picture of their strengths and weaknesses to start the 2026 season.
Which matchups will you be on the lookout for during the Patriots’ joint practice with the Colts? Drop your thoughts in the comments below and join the conversation on Patriots Roundtable.
–
Follow Eddie on Patriots Roundtable
Related Articles:
- Offense Pulls Ahead in First Padded Practices of New England Patriots Training Camp
- 10 Key Takeaways from Week One of New England Patriots Training Camp 2026
- 5 Position Battles to Watch For at New England Patriots Training Camp 2026: Defense
- 5 Position Battles to Watch For at New England Patriots Training Camp 2026: Offense
Check out the Patriots Roundtable Podcast!
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