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Chiefs-Lions: Making sense of snap counts

The Chiefs used Kelce to prevent any chance at a Lions Hail Mary on the game’s final play.

Kansas City Chiefs v Detroit Lions Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images

The Kansas City Chiefs improved to 4-0 by defeating the Detroit Lions 34-30 on Sunday.

Here are the snap counts from the game:


Starters (offensive): WR Demarcus Robinson, LT Cameron Erving, LG Andrew Wylie, C Austin Reiter, RG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, RT Mitchell Schwartz, TE Travis Kelce, WR Sammy Watkins, QB Patrick Mahomes, RB LeSean McCoy and WR Mecole Hardman.

Starters (defensive): LDE Alex Okafor, LDT Chris Jones, RDT Derrick Nnadi, RDE Frank Clark, LB Anthony Hitchens, LB Damien Wilson, RCB Charvarius Ward, LCB Bashaud Breeland, CB Kendall Fuller, FS Juan Thornhill and SS Tyrann Mathieu.

Did not play: QB Matt Moore.

Inactive: WR Tyreek Hill, RB Damien Williams, T Greg Senat, T Eric Fisher, G Nick Allegretti, T Martinas Rankin and DT Khalen Saunders.

Editor’s Note: Arrowhead Pride obtains snap count data from the NFL’s game stats and information system, which allows us to break out snap counts by run or pass on offensive and defensive plays. Because GSIS data ignores plays that were nullified by penalties, total offensive and defensive snap counts will vary from other sources, which get their data from NFL Gamebooks

Offense All Pass Run
Total 66
(100%)
42
(100%)
24
(100%)
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif 66
(100%)
42
(100%)
24
(100%)
Cameron Erving 66
(100%)
42
(100%)
24
(100%)
Patrick Mahomes 66
(100%)
42
(100%)
24
(100%)
Austin Reiter 66
(100%)
42
(100%)
24
(100%)
Mitchell Schwartz 66
(100%)
42
(100%)
24
(100%)
Andrew Wylie 66
(100%)
42
(100%)
24
(100%)
Sammy Watkins 65
(98%)
41
(98%)
24
(100%)
Travis Kelce 64
(97%)
42
(100%)
22
(92%)
Demarcus Robinson 60
(91%)
38
(90%)
22
(92%)
Mecole Hardman 43
(65%)
28
(67%)
15
(63%)
Darrel Williams 33
(50%)
23
(55%)
10
(42%)
LeSean McCoy 31
(47%)
17
(40%)
14
(58%)
Blake Bell 22
(33%)
11
(26%)
11
(46%)
Deon Yelder 4
(6%)
3
(7%)
1
(4%)
Byron Pringle 3
(5%)
2
(5%)
1
(4%)
Darwin Thompson 3
(5%)
3
(7%)
0
(0%)
Anthony Sherman 2
(3%)
2
(5%)
0
(0%)

Offensive takeaways

  • TE Deon Yelder certainly made the most of his very limited snaps, catching two passes early in the game for 43 yards.
  • RB Darrel Williams led the Chiefs in running back snaps by game’s end, beating out LeSean McCoy, 33-31. McCoy’s run-pass split was much closer to 50-50 than Williams, who came on for 13 more pass plays than run plays.
  • The fact that WR Byron Pringle played just three offensive snaps all game makes his big catch on the Chiefs’ final drive all the more impressive.

Defense All Pass Run
Total 73
(100%)
38
(100%)
35
(100%)
Bashaud Breeland 73
(100%)
38
(100%)
35
(100%)
Tyrann Mathieu 73
(100%)
38
(100%)
35
(100%)
Charvarius Ward 73
(100%)
38
(100%)
35
(100%)
Juan Thornhill 61
(84%)
32
(84%)
29
(83%)
Frank Clark 60
(82%)
32
(84%)
28
(80%)
Anthony Hitchens 60
(82%)
26
(68%)
34
(97%)
Chris Jones 60
(82%)
32
(84%)
28
(80%)
Damien Wilson 56
(77%)
25
(66%)
31
(89%)
Kendall Fuller 51
(70%)
28
(74%)
23
(66%)
Derrick Nnadi 37
(51%)
15
(39%)
22
(63%)
Emmanuel Ogbah 37
(51%)
22
(58%)
15
(43%)
Xavier Williams 36
(49%)
17
(45%)
19
(54%)
Alex Okafor 31
(42%)
15
(39%)
16
(46%)
Tanoh Kpassagnon 29
(40%)
17
(45%)
12
(34%)
Darron Lee 24
(33%)
10
(26%)
14
(40%)
Daniel Sorensen 22
(30%)
16
(42%)
6
(17%)
Ben Niemann 13
(18%)
12
(32%)
1
(3%)
Reggie Ragland 4
(5%)
2
(5%)
2
(6%)
Jordan Lucas 2
(3%)
2
(5%)
0
(0%)
Travis Kelce 1
(1%)
1
(3%)
0
(0%)

Defensive takeaways

  • The iron men for the Chiefs were CBs Bashaud Breeland and Charvarius Ward, as well as S Tyrann Mathieu.
  • TE Travis Kelce came in on defense during the game’s final play, when Matt Stafford heaved the ball into the end zone.
  • S Daniel Sorensen has been on the field for 20 or more defensive snaps two weeks in a row, a slight uptick from the season’s first two weeks. LB Darron Lee came on for a season-high 24 defensive plays.

Special Teams Snaps
Total 33
(100%)
Jordan Lucas 26
(79%)
Ben Niemann 26
(79%)
Dorian O'Daniel 26
(79%)
Daniel Sorensen 26
(79%)
Anthony Sherman 23
(70%)
De'Anthony Thomas 21
(64%)
Armani Watts 19
(58%)
Blake Bell 14
(42%)
Harrison Butker 14
(42%)
Darwin Thompson 14
(42%)
Byron Pringle 13
(39%)
Darron Lee 12
(36%)
Tanoh Kpassagnon 10
(30%)
Charvarius Ward 10
(30%)
Dustin Colquitt 9
(27%)
James Winchester 9
(27%)
Jeff Allen 7
(21%)
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif 7
(21%)
Rashad Fenton 7
(21%)
Anthony Hitchens 7
(21%)
Ryan Hunter 7
(21%)
Chris Jones 7
(21%)
Derrick Nnadi 7
(21%)
Reggie Ragland 7
(21%)
Austin Reiter 7
(21%)
Mitchell Schwartz 7
(21%)
Andrew Wylie 7
(21%)
Emmanuel Ogbah 4
(12%)
Alex Okafor 4
(12%)
Mecole Hardman 3
(9%)
Juan Thornhill 3
(9%)
Travis Kelce 1
(3%)

Special teams takeaways

  • S Jordan Lucas, LB Ben Niemann, LB Dorian O’Daniel and S Daniel Sorensen shared the lead for special-teams snaps at 26. FB Anthony Sherman was right there with 23.

All Snaps Off Def ST Total
Total 66
(100%)
73
(100%)
33
(100%)
172
(100%)
Jeff Allen 0
(0%)
0
(0%)
7
(21%)
7
(4%)
Blake Bell 22
(33%)
0
(0%)
14
(42%)
36
(21%)
Bashaud Breeland 0
(0%)
73
(100%)
0
(0%)
73
(42%)
Harrison Butker 0
(0%)
0
(0%)
14
(42%)
14
(8%)
Frank Clark 0
(0%)
60
(82%)
0
(0%)
60
(35%)
Dustin Colquitt 0
(0%)
0
(0%)
9
(27%)
9
(5%)
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif 66
(100%)
0
(0%)
7
(21%)
73
(42%)
Cameron Erving 66
(100%)
0
(0%)
0
(0%)
66
(38%)
Rashad Fenton 0
(0%)
0
(0%)
7
(21%)
7
(4%)
Kendall Fuller 0
(0%)
51
(70%)
0
(0%)
51
(30%)
Mecole Hardman 42
(64%)
0
(0%)
3
(9%)
45
(26%)
Anthony Hitchens 0
(0%)
60
(82%)
7
(21%)
67
(39%)
Ryan Hunter 0
(0%)
0
(0%)
7
(21%)
7
(4%)
Chris Jones 0
(0%)
60
(82%)
7
(21%)
67
(39%)
Travis Kelce 64
(97%)
1
(1%)
1
(3%)
66
(38%)
Tanoh Kpassagnon 0
(0%)
29
(40%)
10
(30%)
39
(23%)
Darron Lee 0
(0%)
24
(33%)
12
(36%)
36
(21%)
Jordan Lucas 0
(0%)
2
(3%)
26
(79%)
28
(16%)
Patrick Mahomes 66
(100%)
0
(0%)
0
(0%)
66
(38%)
Tyrann Mathieu 0
(0%)
73
(100%)
0
(0%)
73
(42%)
LeSean McCoy 31
(47%)
0
(0%)
0
(0%)
31
(18%)
Ben Niemann 0
(0%)
13
(18%)
26
(79%)
39
(23%)
Derrick Nnadi 0
(0%)
37
(51%)
7
(21%)
44
(26%)
Dorian O'Daniel 0
(0%)
0
(0%)
26
(79%)
26
(15%)
Emmanuel Ogbah 0
(0%)
37
(51%)
4
(12%)
41
(24%)
Alex Okafor 0
(0%)
31
(42%)
4
(12%)
35
(20%)
Byron Pringle 3
(5%)
0
(0%)
13
(39%)
16
(9%)
Reggie Ragland 0
(0%)
4
(5%)
7
(21%)
11
(6%)
Austin Reiter 66
(100%)
0
(0%)
7
(21%)
73
(42%)
Demarcus Robinson 60
(91%)
0
(0%)
0
(0%)
60
(35%)
Mitchell Schwartz 66
(100%)
0
(0%)
7
(21%)
73
(42%)
Anthony Sherman 2
(3%)
0
(0%)
23
(70%)
25
(15%)
Daniel Sorensen 0
(0%)
22
(30%)
26
(79%)
48
(28%)
De'Anthony Thomas 0
(0%)
0
(0%)
21
(64%)
21
(12%)
Darwin Thompson 3
(5%)
0
(0%)
14
(42%)
17
(10%)
Juan Thornhill 0
(0%)
61
(84%)
3
(9%)
64
(37%)
Charvarius Ward 0
(0%)
73
(100%)
10
(30%)
83
(48%)
Sammy Watkins 65
(98%)
0
(0%)
0
(0%)
65
(38%)
Armani Watts 0
(0%)
0
(0%)
19
(58%)
19
(11%)
Darrel Williams 34
(52%)
0
(0%)
0
(0%)
34
(20%)
Xavier Williams 0
(0%)
36
(49%)
0
(0%)
36
(21%)
Damien Wilson 0
(0%)
56
(77%)
0
(0%)
56
(33%)
James Winchester 0
(0%)
0
(0%)
9
(27%)
9
(5%)
Andrew Wylie 66
(100%)
0
(0%)
7
(21%)
73
(42%)
Deon Yelder 4
(6%)
0
(0%)
0
(0%)
4
(2%)

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