FOXBORO -- The Patriots' preseason opener at Gillette Stadium on Friday is the kind of game that requires a thorough explanation of the context surrounding the game prior to any kind of after-the-fact dissection.

Their opponents, the Commanders, sat a whopping 30 regulars . Their top two quarterbacks didn't take a snap. The Patriots, meanwhile, wanted to play their healthy starters. Not for long. But long enough to help them jump out to a multi-score lead.

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Therefore, Friday night's 48-18 bludgeoning may not be all that it seems.

But that's not to suggest there weren't meaningful takeaways as the seats emptied and the clock wound down in the fourth quarter.

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