Taking stock of Patriots after preseason opener

In the wake of Thursday’s preseason win over the Redskins -- and without benefit of any post-game film study -- here are five areas/players where the Patriots looked good, and five where they didn't:

Five Who Surprised


Jeremy Hill: The veteran, who is likely locked in a positional battle with Mike Gillislee for the role of “between the tackles” back, made a solid statement in the second half of Thursday’s game, and he ended up leading the team with 51 yards on 11 carries, a very respectable 4.6 yards per carry. He’ll have to continue trending in the right direction to put some distance between himself and Gillislee, who had a decent second half of his own (43 rushing yards and a 3.1 yards per carry average). But Hill has the early lead.