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The New England Patriots trail the Washington Redskins 13-0 at halftime of their preseason opener. A few quick thoughts:
- Poor overall play from Ryan Mallett thus far. He's thrown a few lasers for first downs, but as has often been the case with him, has shown poor touch on many of the underneath throws and those in the 1-9 yard range. A quick start to the second half will be key for him.
- The offensive line has struggled. Even left tackle Nate Solder got off to a slow start, allowing a sack and having a holding call go against him.
- Defensively, not a strong showing from the front seven. Just about everyone has gotten pushed around.
- Not a great first half from the safeties, especially Duron Harmon. He took a bad angle on a Redskins touchdown in the red zone.
- The one standout player on defense: Malcolm Butler. The rookie looks like he belongs.
Continue the discussion of the Patriots vs. Redskins preseason game here!