Five takeaways from Buffalo Bills' Week 4 snap counts

The Buffalo Bills defeated the New Orleans Saints 31-19 on Sunday, with Buffalo's snap counts revealing several trends on both sides of the ball.

These are the five most interesting takeaways from the team's Week 4 snap percentages.

1. Jackson Hawes TE1?

The rookie tight end (53% of snaps) outsnapped Dalton Kincaid (37%) and Dawson Knox (41%) in Sunday's contest. After playing just 19% of snaps in Week 1, the Georgia Tech product has been at 43% or higher in each of the last three games, reaching a career-high percentage against the Saints. While he'll never take over Kincaid's receiving role in the offense, the fact that he's already pushing Knox for snaps indicates how strong of a blocker he's been, while possessing the versatility to also produce in the passing game when necessary.

2. Joe Brady wants to use Curtis Samuel

After being inactive for the first three weeks of the season, Samuel made his debut against the Saints. Despite catching just one of two targets for nine yards, it's clear Joe Brady wants him to be a contributor in the offense. The gadget receiver played 34% of snaps, two more plays than Elijah Moore, five more than Joshua Palmer, and six more than Tyrell Shavers. He trailed only Keon Coleman (43 snaps) and Khalil Shakir (31 snaps) at the wide receiver position. If Samuel can consistently earn a jersey on gameday, expect more from the speedster this season.

3. James Cook is becoming a bell cow back

One of the main arguments against paying James Cook top-tier RB money was the fact that he didn't play enough snaps to warrant a contract that lucrative. Brandon Beane extended the RB anyway, and Cook's elevated his game to another level this season. His 43 snaps on Sunday equated to 73% of the offensive snaps, with Ty Johnson only on the field for 12 snaps and Ray Davis getting just five snaps. In 2024, Cook surpassed 60% of snaps in just one game (Week 1 against the Cardinals). Through four weeks of 2025, he's crossed that threshold twice already, averaging 60% so far this season.

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4. Tre'Davious White's days as a starter are limited

White has started all three games he's been healthy for, but he hasn't been on the field as much as a typical starting corner would be. In Week 2, he outsnapped rookie Dorian Strong by just five snaps, seeminly splitting the game with the sixth round pick. After playing 100% of snaps against the Dolphins, White and Strong were back to rotating, although the veteran saw about three quarters of the snaps (76%), while the rookie saw 22%.

During his postgame press conference, head coach Sean McDermott explained that the rotation was the plan all along. "Just looking at a young player and giving him some experience and some valuable reps. It wasn't anything Tre didn't do. That was the plan going into the game."

Between Strong's solid play, and the eventual return of first round pick Maxwell Hairston, White's starting spot seems to be in danger.

Sep 28, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller (5) is tackled by Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White (27) during the fourth quarter | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

5. It's not Jordan Hancock's time yet

The fifth round selection by the Bills was active for the first time on Sunday against New Orleans. However, the Ohio State DB didn't see a snap on defense, instead contributing eight snaps on special teams.

While the versatile ball hawk may have a bright future in Buffalo, don't expect him to play meaningful (or maybe any) defensive snaps anytime soon.

Buffalo Bills Jordan Hancock sprints away from a player lined up against him during voluntary workouts at their practice facility on May 27, 2025. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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