MIKE VRABEL MAKES HIS HEAD COACHING DEBUT WITH THE PATRIOTS; RETURNS TO THE NEW ENGLAND SIDELINE AT GILLETTE STADIUM FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2008
Mike Vrabel, who was hired as the 16th head coach in team history on Jan. 13, 2025, made his debut as head coach of the New England Patriots and returned to the Patriots sideline at Gillette Stadium for the first time since his final home game when he played for the Patriots on Dec. 21, 2008 vs. Arizona. After spending eight years as a player with New England (2001-08), Vrabel was traded to Kansas City in the 2009 offseason.

GAME CAPTAINS
WR DeMario Douglas, G Cole Strange, DL Khyiris Tonga and DE Truman Jones, the Patriots 2025 offseason award winners, served as game captains.

PATRIOTS RETURN THE OPENING KICKOFF FOR A TOUCHDOWN
2025 second-round draft pick RB TreVeyon Henderson returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. The Patriots have returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown four times in the regular season in team history. The Patriots have returned a kickoff at least 100 yards for a touchdown seven times in team history in the regular season. Dion Lewis was the last player to accomplish the feat with a 103-yard kickoff return at Denver on Nov. 12, 2017.

PATRIOTS OPENING KICKOFFS RETURNED FOR A TOUCHDOWN IN THE REGULAR SEASON
Jalen Reagor – 98 yards at Buffalo on Dec. 31, 2023
Bethel Johnson – 93 yards at Cleveland on Dec. 5, 2004
Sammy Martin – 95 yards at Indianapolis on Nov. 27, 1988
Allen Carter – 99 yards at Baltimore on Dec. 21, 1975

PATRIOTS SCORED 48 POINTS – THE MOST EVER IN A PRESEASON GAME
The Patriots offense scored 48 points with six touchdowns (4 rushing touchdowns, 1 passing and 1 on a kickoff return) and two field goals. It is the most ever for the team in the preseason. The previous highest scoring output was 47 points in a 47-12 win vs. Jacksonville on August 11, 2011.

PATRIOTS SCORE 17 POINTS IN THE FIRST QUARTER
The Patriots scored 17 points in the first quarter. The last time the Patriots scored at least 17 points in the first quarter was during the 2019 season when they scored 17 points in the first quarter in back-to-back weeks – Oct. 21 at the New York Jets and on Oct. 27 vs. Cleveland.

FIVE NEWLY ACQUIRED PATRIOTS PLAYERS WERE IN THE STARTING LINEUP
C Garrett Bradbury, WR Mack Hollins, LB Robert Spillane, DT Milton Williams and NT Khyiris Tonga were all on the starting lineup after joining the team through free agency in the spring.

2025 ROOKIES THAT MADE THEIR NFL DEBUT; THREE DRAFT PICKS WERE IN THE STARTING LINEUP
All 11 of the Patriots 2025 NFL Draft picks made their NFL debut with three draft picks in the starting lineup. First-round draft pick T Will Campbell started at left tackle, third-round draft pick OL Jared Wilson started at left guard and seventh-round draft pick T Marcus Bryant started at right tackle.

DRAKE MAYE PLAYED THE FIRST TWO SERIES
QB Drake Maye started the game and played the first two offensive series. He completed 3-of-5 passes for 12 yards with all three completions to RB TreVeyon Henderson. Maye culminated an 8-play, 61-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown run.

BACK UP QB JOSHUA DOBBS RELIEVED MAYE IN THE FIRST QUARTER
QB Joshua Dobbs entered the game for the third offensive series. He played through the first half, finishing 5-of-12 for 45 yards and also scored on a 2-yard run.

ROOKIE QB BEN WOOLDRIGE ENTERED THE GAME IN THE THIRD QUARTER AND FINISHED THE GAME
Rookie QB Ben Wooldridge entered the game in the third quarter. His first completion was a 7-yard pass to rookie RB Lan Larison. And later in the series, he culminated a drive with a 12-yard touchdown pass to WR Efton Chism III. Wooldridge finished 9-of-12 for 132 yards and a touchdown.

TWO PATRIOTS QUARTERBACKS SCORED RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS
Drake Maye scored on a 5-yard run in the first quarter and Josh Dobbs scored on a 2-yard run in the second quarter. The last time the Patriots had two different quarterbacks score rushing touchdowns in the same game was on Oct. 28, 2007 vs. Washington when Tom Brady scored two rushing touchdowns and Matt Cassel scored on one rushing touchdown in a 52-7 win.

FIRST-YEAR CB D.J. JAMES RECORDS A PICK
First-year CB D.J. James picked off Washington QB Sam Hartman in the first quarter and returned it 11 yards to the Washington 31-yard line. That helped setup a 22-yard field goal by K Andy Borregales.

PARKER ROMO CONNECTED ON A 57-YARD FIELD GOAL IN THE SECOND QUARTER
K Parker Romo connected on a 57-yard field goal in the second quarter. His longest regular season field goal was a 55-yard field goal on Dec. 1, 2024 vs. Arizona when he played for Minnesota. Romo's 57-yard field goal is a yard shy of the record at Gillette Stadium, a 58-yard field goal by K Stephen Gostkowski vs. Carolina on Oct. 1, 2017.

GIBSON HAD A 62-YARD KICKOFF RETURN IN THE SECOND QUARTER
RB Antonio Gibson broke free for a 62-yard kickoff return in the second quarter. His longest kickoff return in the regular season was a 45-yard kickoff return on Nov. 6, 2022 vs. Minnesota when he played for Washington.

ROOKIE FREE AGENT CB JORDAN POLK RECORDS A PICK
Rookie free agent CB Jordan Polk picked off Washington QB Josh Johnson in the third quarter and returned it 18 yards to the Washington 21-yard line. The Patriots converted that turnover into a touchdown pass from QB Ben Wooldridge to WR Efton Chism III.

ROOKIE WR EFTON CHISM III LEAD THE TEAM IN RECEPTIONS
Rookie WR Efton Chism III led the team with 6 receptions for 50 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown pass from QB Ben Wooldridge in the third quarter.