Takeaways from Patriots' Week 1 Snap Counts

Now that the New England Patriots have one game in the books for the 2020 regular season, let's analyze the snap counts from Sunday's 21-11 victory over the Miami Dolphins.

Jermaine Eluemunor, Michael Onwenu Rotate at Right Tackle

Snap count:

Eluemunor: 48
Onwenu: 22
Herron: 2

The expectation heading into Sunday's game was that veteran offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor would be New England's starting right tackle. That was the case, however, there was a bit of a rotation going on at that position throughout the game.

Rookie Michael Onwenu, who was drafted as a guard, took 22 snaps on Sunday, which was a bit surprising. There was no talk during camp of him being in a rotation in at any position on the line, so seeing him in the game during the season opener was a shock. However, it's worth noting that some of those snaps came in jumbo formations, so he was one of seven players with a hand down on the LOS.

Damiere Byrd a Starting Receiver, Edelman on Pitch Count

Snap count:

Byrd: 56
Harry: 51
Edelman: 37
Meyers: 7

Once Mohamed Sanu was cut this summer, it remained to be seen who would start opposite of N'Keal Harry in the offense. It appears that player is Damiere Byrd.

Byrd played the most snaps of any receiver during Sunday's game, which speaks to the work he put in this summer to earn the trust of the coaching staff. Byrd will likely earn a similar snap count over the coming weeks, but we'll have to wait and see how his snap count is effected when Gunner Olszewski returns from injured reserve.

Julian Edelman was on a pitch count in Week 1. He played just 37 snaps Sunday, which could have been due to game flow, or it could foreshadow a limited workload for the 34-year-old receiver. We saw what happened last year when he had a large workload, so New England may be trying to preserve their No. 1 wideout so he's healthy during the back stretch of the season.

Ryan Izzo Dominates Tight End Snaps

Snap count:

Izzo: 63
Asiasi: 10

As expected, veteran tight end Ryan Izzo dominated the snaps at tight end during the season opener. Dalton Keene was inactive for the game, which left fellow rookie tight end Devin Asiasi as the only other tight end on the game day roster. However, Asiasi's opportunities on offense were scarce, as he only played 10 snaps in Week 1.

Izzo will continue to take a majority of the snaps at tight end for the time being. But as the season progresses, I would expect to see his snaps dwindle as Keene works his way back into the lineup and him and Asiasi develop a bit more.

Adrian Phillips Takes Majority of Snaps at Strong Safety

Snap count:

Phillips: 43
Williams: 27
Brooks: 22
Dugger: 11

With Patrick Chung opting out of the 2020 season, we were waiting to see who or how many players would fill his role as the strong safety, tight end covering player in New England's defense. That role was primarily filled by offseason addition Adrian Phillips, who played 43 snaps on defense. To put that into perspective, Devin McCourty led the defense in snaps on Sunday with 61.

But Phillips wasn't the only one filling Chung's role.

JoeJuan Williams, who was drafted as a cornerback but transitioned to safety this offseason, had the duty of covering Miami tight end Mike Gesicki all game long, and did so effectively. Gesicki caught just three passes for 30 yards.

Terrence Brooks, who joined the team in 2019, also earned 22 snaps at strong safety. Second-round pick Kyle Dugger also earned 11.

Byron Cowart Earns Sizable Workload

Snaps counts:

Butler: 34
Guy: 22
Cowart: 21
Williams: 9

Now only was 2019 5th-round pick Byron Cowart listed as a starter for New England's defense in Week 1, but he was impactful and earned a hefty workload. Adam Butler led the way with 34 snaps, but Cowart earned 21, which was just behind Lawrence Guy (22).

Cowart's improvement from his rookie season to now are evident in his play time Sunday. If he keeps it up, by the time Beau Allen returns from injured reserve the Patriots' defensive interior will be stout.

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