Patriots Snap Count Reveals Major Second-Half Upgrades

Offense Observations:

The Patriots had six players align for every snap on offense: quarterback Drake Maye and the entire starting offensive line consisting of rookie left tackle Will Campbell, left guard Jared Wilson, center Garrett Bradbury, right guard Michael Onwenu and right tackle Morgan Moses. It was the seventh time in eight games that the entire starting offensive line went the distance.

Rookie TreVeyon Henderson maximized his 14 snaps by logging 10 carries for 77 yards — his best offensive output of the season. While the Ohio State product has yet to find the end zone, he did provide a much-needed spark for New England’s offense, with his longest rush going for 27 yards. Rhamondre Stevenson continues to receive the starter’s share of the snaps, contributing 34 yards on 14 carries. Terrell Jennings, who was elevated from the practice squad, aligned on five snaps, carrying the ball twice for 15 yards.

Veteran receiver Stefon Diggs has now played on 54.6 percent of the Patriots plays on offense in 2025, logging 35 snaps against the Browns. Diggs not only caught three passes for 14 yards in Week 8, but he also earned his first touchdown in a Patriots uniform. Kayshon Boutte (50 snaps) caught three passes for 75 yards and one touchdown while veteran Mack Hollins led all receivers with seven catches for 89 yards, while aligning on 49 offensive plays.

On National Tight Ends Day, the Pats tandem of Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper delivered when needed. Henry took 52 snaps, bringing his playing-time total to 81.2 percent on the year. Henry caught his only target, a seven-yard touchdown pass from Maye in the third quarter. Hooper (39 snaps) earned two catches for 38 yards.

Defense

On defense the Pats overall snap count was 54 versus the Browns.

Defense Observations

The Patriots had four players align on every defensive snap in Week 8: linebacker Robert Spillane, cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis and safety Jaylinn Hawkins.

In addition to playing from start to finish, Spillane led the Pats with 14 total tackles and two tackles for loss. His signature Week 8 moment arrived with less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter. Acting as a spy on Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Spillane jumped a route to intercept the Cleveland rookie, returning the pick for 32-yards. 

In spite of missing the entire first quarter for what has been widely reported as “disciplinary reasons”defensive tackle Christian Barmore still aligned on 30, second-most among all other players at his position. He finished the day having logged one assisted tackle.

Linebacker Anfernee Jennings, playing in place of the inactive Keion White aligned on 14 defensive snaps. He was credited for one sack, the first by a Patriots reserve linebacker this season. Despite playing on only 12 snaps on defense, linebacker Jahlani Tavai contributed five tackles and one tackle for loss.

Cornerback Marcus Jones continues to be a solid contributor both in the slot and in select packages along the boundary. Jones saw action on 39 defensive plays, earning six total tackles, two pass deflections and one tackle for loss.