clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Chiefs-Jaguars: Making sense of snap counts

Kansas City safety Juan Thornhill saw every snap on defense for the Chiefs.

NFL: SEP 08 Chiefs at Jaguars Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Starting with Week 1 of the 2019 season, Arrowhead Pride is collecting snap count information from a different source: the NFL’s game stats and information system.

We’re making this change because the data we can get there is more detailed. For example, it allows us to see not only how many snaps a player had on offense or defense but also how many of those snaps were on running plays or passing plays. We believe this will give us an improved understanding of how players are used.

(Editor’s Note: Because the 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)

Starters (offensive): WR Tyreek Hill, LT Eric Fisher, LG Andrew Wylie, C Austin Reiter, RG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, RT Mitchell Schwartz, TE Travis Kelce, WR Sammy Watkins, QB Patrick Mahomes, RB Damien Williams and WR Demarcus Robinson.

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

Did not play: T Cameron Erving.

Inactive: S Jordan Lucas, LB Reggie Ragland, G Ryan Hunter, G Nick Allegretti, T Martinas Rankin, TE Deon Yelder and DT Khalen Saunders.


Offense All Pass Run
Total 60
(100%)
34
(100%)
26
(100%)
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif 60
(100%)
34
(100%)
26
(100%)
Eric Fisher 60
(100%)
34
(100%)
26
(100%)
Austin Reiter 60
(100%)
34
(100%)
26
(100%)
Mitchell Schwartz 60
(100%)
34
(100%)
26
(100%)
Andrew Wylie 60
(100%)
34
(100%)
26
(100%)
Sammy Watkins 57
(95%)
34
(100%)
23
(88%)
Patrick Mahomes 52
(87%)
33
(97%)
19
(73%)
Mecole Hardman 46
(77%)
27
(79%)
19
(73%)
Travis Kelce 43
(72%)
29
(85%)
14
(54%)
Damien Williams 39
(65%)
24
(71%)
15
(58%)
Demarcus Robinson 35
(58%)
23
(68%)
12
(46%)
Blake Bell 32
(53%)
13
(38%)
19
(73%)
LeSean McCoy 18
(30%)
8
(24%)
10
(38%)
Tyreek Hill 11
(18%)
7
(21%)
4
(15%)
Anthony Sherman 10
(17%)
2
(6%)
8
(31%)
Matt Moore 8
(13%)
1
(3%)
7
(27%)
Jeff Allen 4
(7%)
0
(0%)
4
(15%)
Byron Pringle 3
(5%)
1
(3%)
2
(8%)
Darwin Thompson 2
(3%)
2
(6%)
0
(0%)

Offensive takeaways

  • We got our answer as to who is starting at left guard — it’s Andrew Wylie. Cam Erving was the only active Chiefs player who did not enter the game.
  • One of the early surprises of the day is the Chiefs deciding to make LB Reggie Ragland inactive. With TE Deon Yelder inactive, Blake Bell came on for 32 percent of offensive snaps.
  • WR Sammy Watkins led the Chiefs in offensive snaps with 57, or 95 percent of the Chiefs’ plays. Watkins even saw more time on the field than QB Patrick Mahomes, with Matt Moore relieving him for eight plays to close the day out.
  • WR Tyreek Hill left the game after 11 offensive plays, giving way to rookie Mecole Hardman, who saw 46.
  • Running back snap breakdown: Damien Williams, 39 (24 pass, 15 run); LeSean McCoy, 18 (8 pass, 10 run); Darwin Thompson, 2 (pass); McCoy after the game: “I study all day, all night, all morning. I get up early, workout, and get back and study. I’ve been prepared. Honestly, I don’t know all the different terminologies the guys had in camp, but they simplify it a lot more just based on game plan. I feel comfortable in there. I probably had one mess up mentally, but other than that I was locked in. I want to earn myself on this team. I don’t want it just because of my name or what I’ve done in the past. I want to earn it. These guys are already established. It’s been a great offense before I got here and if I wasn’t even here it would still be a great offense. I just want to be a part of it, earn every play I get and every possession.”
  • It seems Thompson will be out of the RB mix unless there is an injury to Williams or McCoy. I would also expect this to trend in the direction of an even 50-50 split. McCoy managed 81 yards on only 10 carries.

Defense All Pass Run
Total 51
(100%)
34
(100%)
17
(100%)
Bashaud Breeland 51
(100%)
34
(100%)
17
(100%)
Anthony Hitchens 51
(100%)
34
(100%)
17
(100%)
Juan Thornhill 51
(100%)
34
(100%)
17
(100%)
Charvarius Ward 51
(100%)
34
(100%)
17
(100%)
Tyrann Mathieu 50
(98%)
33
(97%)
17
(100%)
Kendall Fuller 43
(84%)
32
(94%)
11
(65%)
Damien Wilson 41
(80%)
25
(74%)
16
(94%)
Frank Clark 39
(76%)
28
(82%)
11
(65%)
Chris Jones 39
(76%)
30
(88%)
9
(53%)
Alex Okafor 33
(65%)
22
(65%)
11
(65%)
Tanoh Kpassagnon 32
(63%)
21
(62%)
11
(65%)
Emmanuel Ogbah 18
(35%)
12
(35%)
6
(35%)
Derrick Nnadi 17
(33%)
6
(18%)
11
(65%)
Xavier Williams 14
(27%)
11
(32%)
3
(18%)
Joey Ivie 12
(24%)
6
(18%)
6
(35%)
Daniel Sorensen 11
(22%)
10
(29%)
1
(6%)
Darron Lee 8
(16%)
2
(6%)
6
(35%)

Defensive takeaways

  • As we expected, Juan Thornhill is indeed the starter at safety. He played every snap on defense (51). Other iron men include CB Bashaud Breeland, LB Anthony Hitchens and CB Charvarius Ward. S Tyrann Mathieu played all but one snap.
  • S Daniel Sorensen, one of last year’s “starters,” only saw 11 snaps on defense.
  • LB Tanoh Kpassagnon went from a player we thought would be cut to being active on the same day Ragland wasn’t, and he compiled 32 defensive snaps in the process.

Special Teams Snaps
Total 30
(100%)
Anthony Sherman 24
(80%)
Ben Niemann 22
(73%)
Dorian O'Daniel 22
(73%)
Daniel Sorensen 22
(73%)
Harrison Butker 17
(57%)
Byron Pringle 17
(57%)
Armani Watts 17
(57%)
Demarcus Robinson 16
(53%)
Tremon Smith 16
(53%)
Blake Bell 14
(47%)
Rashad Fenton 13
(43%)
Dustin Colquitt 9
(30%)
Darwin Thompson 9
(30%)
James Winchester 9
(30%)
Jeff Allen 8
(27%)
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif 8
(27%)
Eric Fisher 8
(27%)
Austin Reiter 8
(27%)
Mitchell Schwartz 8
(27%)
Andrew Wylie 8
(27%)
Mecole Hardman 7
(23%)
Darron Lee 7
(23%)
Tanoh Kpassagnon 6
(20%)
Alex Okafor 6
(20%)
Charvarius Ward 6
(20%)
Darrel Williams 6
(20%)
Anthony Hitchens 4
(13%)
Chris Jones 4
(13%)
Derrick Nnadi 4
(13%)
Juan Thornhill 2
(7%)
Tyreek Hill 1
(3%)
Damien Williams 1
(3%)
Damien Wilson 1
(3%)

Special teams takeaways

  • The key special-teams contributors were FB Anthony Sherman (24 snaps), LB Ben Niemann (22), LB Dorian O’Daniel (22) and Sorensen (22).

All Snaps Off Def ST Total
Total 60
(100%)
51
(100%)
30
(100%)
141
(100%)
Jeff Allen 4
(7%)
0
(0%)
8
(27%)
12
(9%)
Blake Bell 32
(53%)
0
(0%)
14
(47%)
46
(33%)
Bashaud Breeland 0
(0%)
51
(100%)
0
(0%)
51
(36%)
Harrison Butker 0
(0%)
0
(0%)
17
(57%)
17
(12%)
Frank Clark 0
(0%)
39
(76%)
0
(0%)
39
(28%)
Dustin Colquitt 0
(0%)
0
(0%)
9
(30%)
9
(6%)
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif 60
(100%)
0
(0%)
8
(27%)
68
(48%)
Rashad Fenton 0
(0%)
0
(0%)
13
(43%)
13
(9%)
Eric Fisher 60
(100%)
0
(0%)
8
(27%)
68
(48%)
Kendall Fuller 0
(0%)
43
(84%)
0
(0%)
43
(30%)
Mecole Hardman 46
(77%)
0
(0%)
7
(23%)
53
(38%)
Tyreek Hill 11
(18%)
0
(0%)
1
(3%)
12
(9%)
Anthony Hitchens 0
(0%)
51
(100%)
4
(13%)
55
(39%)
Joey Ivie 0
(0%)
12
(24%)
0
(0%)
12
(9%)
Chris Jones 0
(0%)
39
(76%)
4
(13%)
43
(30%)
Travis Kelce 43
(72%)
0
(0%)
0
(0%)
43
(30%)
Tanoh Kpassagnon 0
(0%)
32
(63%)
6
(20%)
38
(27%)
Darron Lee 0
(0%)
8
(16%)
7
(23%)
15
(11%)
Patrick Mahomes 52
(87%)
0
(0%)
0
(0%)
52
(37%)
Tyrann Mathieu 0
(0%)
50
(98%)
0
(0%)
50
(35%)
LeSean McCoy 18
(30%)
0
(0%)
0
(0%)
18
(13%)
Matt Moore 8
(13%)
0
(0%)
0
(0%)
8
(6%)
Ben Niemann 0
(0%)
0
(0%)
22
(73%)
22
(16%)
Derrick Nnadi 0
(0%)
17
(33%)
4
(13%)
21
(15%)
Dorian O'Daniel 0
(0%)
0
(0%)
22
(73%)
22
(16%)
Emmanuel Ogbah 0
(0%)
18
(35%)
0
(0%)
18
(13%)
Alex Okafor 0
(0%)
33
(65%)
6
(20%)
39
(28%)
Byron Pringle 3
(5%)
0
(0%)
17
(57%)
20
(14%)
Austin Reiter 60
(100%)
0
(0%)
8
(27%)
68
(48%)
Demarcus Robinson 35
(58%)
0
(0%)
16
(53%)
51
(36%)
Mitchell Schwartz 60
(100%)
0
(0%)
8
(27%)
68
(48%)
Anthony Sherman 10
(17%)
0
(0%)
24
(80%)
34
(24%)
Tremon Smith 0
(0%)
0
(0%)
16
(53%)
16
(11%)
Daniel Sorensen 0
(0%)
11
(22%)
22
(73%)
33
(23%)
Darwin Thompson 2
(3%)
0
(0%)
9
(30%)
11
(8%)
Juan Thornhill 0
(0%)
51
(100%)
2
(7%)
53
(38%)
Charvarius Ward 0
(0%)
51
(100%)
6
(20%)
57
(40%)
Sammy Watkins 57
(95%)
0
(0%)
0
(0%)
57
(40%)
Armani Watts 0
(0%)
0
(0%)
17
(57%)
17
(12%)
Damien Williams 39
(65%)
0
(0%)
1
(3%)
40
(28%)
Darrel Williams 0
(0%)
0
(0%)
6
(20%)
6
(4%)
Xavier Williams 0
(0%)
14
(27%)
0
(0%)
14
(10%)
Damien Wilson 0
(0%)
41
(80%)
1
(3%)
42
(30%)
James Winchester 0
(0%)
0
(0%)
9
(30%)
9
(6%)
Andrew Wylie 60
(100%)
0
(0%)
8
(27%)
68
(48%)

Arrowhead Pride Premiere

Sign up now for a 7-day free trial of Arrowhead Pride Premier, with exclusive updates from Pete Sweeney on the ground at Arrowhead, instant reactions after each game, and in-depth Chiefs analysis from film expert Jon Ledyard.