Chiefs vs. Patriots: Making sense of snap counts

The Kansas City Chiefs dropped their first game of the season Sunday night to the New England Patriots in Foxborough.

Here were the snap counts for the Chiefs:

Offense

Defense

Special teams (only)

Starters (offense): WR Tyreek Hill, LT Eric Fisher, LG Cam Erving, C Mitch Morse, RG Jordan Devey, RT Mitch Schwartz, TE Travis Kelce, WR Sammy Watkins, RB Kareem Hunt, WR Chris Conley, QB Patrick Mahomes

Starters (defense): LDE Allen Bailey, NT Derrick Nnadi, LOLB Dee Ford, LILB Reggie Ragland, RILB Anthony Hitchens, ROLB Breeland Speaks, SCB Kendall Fuller, RCB Steve Nelson, LCB Orlando Scandrick, S Jordan Lucas, S Ron Parker

Active, but did not play: QB Chad Henne, S Leon McQuay, LB Nate Orchard

Inactive: S Eric Berry, S Eric Murray, RB Darrel Williams, LB Justin Houston, OL Kahlil McKenzie, DT Justin Hamilton, LB Tanoh Kpassagnon

Takeaways (in no particular order)

• The Chiefs offense ran 54 plays on offense and 78 plays on defense against the Patriots.
• Sammy Watkins played 100 percent of offensive snaps against the Patriots, coming away with four targets for two receptions and 18 yards.
• Wide receiver Tyreek Hill (98 percent) and tight end Travis Kelce (94 percent) were also in for much of the game. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes targeted Hill 12 times for seven receptions, 142 yards and three touchdowns. Mahomes targeted Kelce nine times for five receptions and 61 yards.
• When center Mitch Morse (22 snaps) left the game with a concussion, starting right guard Jordan Devey slid over to center and Andrew Wylie (32 snaps) came in at right guard.
• Two offensive snaps for fullback Anthony Sherman is a season-low.
• Your iron men on defense (100 percent of snaps) were safeties Jordan Lucas and Ron Parker, cornerback Steven Nelson and linebacker Anthony Hitchens.
• With Justin Houston out of the lineup, Breeland Speaks played 76 defensive snaps (97 percent).
• The Chiefs like rookie Derrick Nnadi at nose tackle—he out-snapped Xavier Williams for the second week in a row. This week it was 39-26. The Chiefs have had Nnadi playing around 50 percent of defensive snaps in the last two games.
• Linebacker Reggie Ragland’s snaps were back up against New England—he had 49 defensive snaps (63 percent). Ragland out-snapped Terrance Smith, who saw only eight plays of defensive action. Linebacker Frank Zombo also saw just eight plays in his return to the lineup.
• Cornerback-safety hybrid Josh Shaw saw 22 defensive snaps (28 percent) in his debut for the Chiefs.
• The four-phase special teams guys for the Chiefs right now are tight end Demetrius Harris (28 special teams snaps), fullback Anthony Sherman (27), linebacker Terrance Smith (28) and cornerback Charvarius Ward (28).
• After all the talk of Marcus Kemp playing wide receiver and safety this week, he had just 18 snaps on special teams.