Studs and duds from Patriots Week 1 preseason tie with Colts

A quiet offensive showing and multiple missed field goals were the story of the night as the New England Patriots opened their slate of preseason action against the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday. It was a sloppy night of football all around, but the Colts appeared determined to hand it all on a silver platter with four turnovers. Unfortunately for the Patriots, they weren't able to take advantage of their opportunities, and it led to the Colts engineering a game-tying drive late in the fourth quarter for a final score of 13-13. With that said, there were multiple players who stood out for good and bad reasons in the first game of the preseason. Even though it is one game, the totality will all factor into Patriots coach Mike Vrabel's decisioning when he cuts the roster down to 53 players. Here are the studs and duds from the game: STUD: RB Jam Miller With Terrell Jennings going on season-ending injured reserve, all eyes have shifted to Jam Miller and Lan Larison as the top candidates for the No. 3 role at running back. Larison saw plenty of work as a receiving back, but it was Miller who was the workhorse on the ground, racking up 14 carries for 55 yards. It's a great sign for the former Alabama running back, who could provide an extra sledgehammer behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson. DUD: K Andy Borregales It was a rough night for Patriots kicker Andy Borregales, who whiffed on three field goals in the game. Keep in mind that two of the kicks were from 55-plus yards. Borregales was also dealing with a new long snapper, with Niko Lalos taking over for Julian Ashby. The excuses for a poor performance are all valid. Yet, the real back-breaker was the 49-yard miss that would have won the game for the Patriots late in the fourth quarter. STUD: P Bryce Baringer Patriots punter Bryce Baringer had himself a night. He averaged 51.5 yards on six punts in the game, including a 65-yard punt, with tremendous hang time. It wasn't a pretty day for the Patriots' offense, but Baringer proved to be a real weapon on special teams by constantly flipping the field and pinning the Colts back deep. STUD: LB K.J. Britt Patriots veteran linebacker K.J. Britt came alive in Thursday's game. He started things off by stuffing a run two yards behind the line of scrimmage. Then he chased down Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson and punched the ball free to create a turnover on the field. It was a hustle play that will look good on film. DUD: Run defense The run defense could have been better, particularly against Richardson. There were too many instances of Patriots defenders taking bad angles and losing containment against the athletic quarterback. It was a tough day against the run, with the Colts averaging 4.9 yards on the ground. They finished the game with 133 rushing yards and one touchdown. STUD: WR Cameron Dorner The Patriots are already loaded at the wide receiver position, but it is hard not to notice Cameron Dorner continue to make plays. He hauled in a deep pass from Tommy DeVito that was called back due to a penalty, and he followed that up with an 18-yard play on a reception. Dorner is an unknown as an undrafted rookie, but he is clearly a good football player with plenty of promise. DUD: Penalties There were too many sloppy penalties for the Patriots in the opener. They were the sort of penalties that either killed drives for the offense or kept them alive for the Colts. Huge passing plays to tight end Eli Raridon and wide receiver Cameron Dorner were wiped out due to penalties. Also, the Colts' game-winning drive was kept alive due to a hands-to-the-face penalty. The Patriots need to clean those up for Week 2. STUD: WR Kyle Williams It must have felt like a relief for the Patriots to see Kyle Williams making plays in an actual football game. He scored the team's only touchdown, hauling in a 12-yard pass from Tommy DeVito in the end zone. There was an opportunity for him to score again later, but DeVito didn't get enough zip on the ball to complete the pass. Williams' speed is the real deal, and he could serve as a legitimate situational weapon for the Patriots. Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook. This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Studs and duds from Patriots Week 1 preseason tie with Colts