Jaguars vs. Chiefs: Snap count analysis
While watching a game live can give you one impression of a player's usage, looking at the actual amount of snaps they played compared to their teammates can also give insight into the team's strategy and outlook.
There are weeks where snap counts will fluctuate wildly due to opponent or injuries, but for the most part snap counts paint a good picture about a team's game plan for that specific week. This is the case when looking at the snap counts for the Jacksonville Jaguars after their 40-26 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
Who played a lot, and why? Did the snaps mean anything or nothing? We examine below:
Offense (58 snaps)
OT Will Richardson: 58
OG Andrew Norwell: 58
OG A.J. Cann: 58
C Brandon Linder: 58
OT Jawaan Taylor: 58
RB Leonard Fournette: 50
WR Dede Westbrook: 48
QB Gardner Minshew: 47
WR Chris Conley: 44
WR DJ Chark: 41
TE James O'Shaughnessy: 38
TE Geoff Swaim: 29
WR Marqise Lee: 12
WR Keelan Cole: 12
QB Nick Foles: 11
TE Seth DeValve: 8
RB Ryquell Armstead: 8
- Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone said Monday it was no accident that Leonard Fournette played all but eight of the team's offensive snaps. He said the goal going into the game, and season, was to use Fournette like a true three-down back who rarely leaves the field. As long as he is healthy, expect him to continue to see heavy snaps.
- Since the team only called 14 running plays due to falling behind early and often, it makes sense that James O'Shaughnessy played more than Geoff Swaim. Swaim is more of a run blocker and possession type of tight end, so this could be group that changes week in and week out while rookie tight end Josh Oliver is out of the lineup.
- Keelan Cole playing the same amount of snaps as Marqise Lee (along with zero snaps on special teams) indicates his pecking order in the offense. Lee was in his first game since tearing his ACL in last year's preseason so he was always going to be eased in, but it seems like Cole simply does not have a large role.
Defense (68 snaps)
FS Jarrod Wilson: 68
CB A.J. Bouye: 68
CB Jalen Ramsey: 66
SS Ronnie Harrison: 62
CB D.J. Hayden: 58
DL Calais Campbell: 55
DE Josh Allen: 51
DE Yannick Ngakoue: 49
LB Najee Goode: 48
LB Quincy Williams: 45
DT Abry Jones: 39
DE Dawuane Smoot: 31
LB D.J. Alexander: 23
LB Myles Jack: 20
DT Dontavius Russell: 20
DT Taven Bryan: 18
DE Lerentee McCray: 10
LB Leon Jacobs: 9
DB Andrew Wingard: 6
CB Tre Herndon: 2
- At first it was a little surprising to see that Josh Allen edged out Yannick Ngakoue in snaps played, but it does make sense when you consider the role the team seems to have in mind for Allen. He was used at several different spots in the defense and is already one of their most versatile front seven players, if not already the most versatile.
- 2018 first-round pick Taven Bryan playing less snaps than 2019 seventh-round pick Dontavius Russell is a surprise, even with DT Marcell Dareus out of the lineup. Bryan forced a pressure in the first half and looked fine in a small sample size, but the team simply does not seem to be comfortable with leaning on him yet.
- Jacksonville's top two backup linebackers, D.J. Alexander and Najee Goode, combined to play 71 snaps against the Chiefs because of injuries to Quincy Williams and a second quarter ejection for Myles Jack. Having second-string defenders play large chunks of the game showed up in the defensive results as the team struggled mightily vs the run in the second half.
Special teams (30 snaps)
DE Lerentee McCray: 26
DB Cody Davis: 26
DB Josh Robinson: 26
CB Tre Herndon: 25
LB Najee Goode: 18
DB Andrew Wingard: 18
CB Breon Borders: 15
TE Seth DeValve: 12
RB Ryquell Armstead: 10
RB Tyler Ervin: 10
K Josh Lambo: 9
P Logan Cooke: 7
- The team's core special team group is easy to spot here. DBs Josh Robinson and Andrew Wingard made the team almost solely because of their special teams ability, and on Sunday each played a good amount.
