NFL Preseason Week 1 Game Recap: New England Patriots 48, Washington Commanders 18

New England Patriots rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson pinpointed the opening kickoff from the goal line, and then looked up. Daylight.

Patriots blockers had already created an unimaginable seam to dart through, and one cut later, Henderson was trotting into the endzone.

The second-round speedster is knocking on the door of spearheading New England's backfield, and now he's making his case to handle kick-return duties. His lone carry tallied 18 yards, and one of his catches featured a vicious forced missed tackle en route to a 9-yard gain.

Henderson's strong start paved the way for a Patriots blowout, a 48-18 triumph over the Washington Commanders — who went backup-heavy — in preseason Week 1.

PFF's dedicated team of graders was hard at work, analyzing every player on every play in real time. The comprehensive grades and data will be available after a thorough review tomorrow at 12 p.m. EST.

In the meantime, we’ve gathered some high-level data and snap counts from the game to give you an early look. Our expert graders have also nominated the standout player of the game, highlighting exceptional performance on the field.

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PLAYER OF THE GAME

Second-year undrafted free agent Miles Battle was at the forefront of the Patriots' defensive efforts. He allowed two catches for 9 yards on five targets and logged two forced incompletions.

In Battle's lone NFL action last season, a Week 18 contest against the Bills, he let up only one catch on five targets and broke up two passes, too.

BOX SCORE

SNAP COUNTS & PLAYER PARTICIPATION