Patriots Snap Counts Reveal Need for Improvement

Offensive Observations:

The Patriots had six players align for every snap on offense: quarterback Drake Maye and the entire starting offensive line consisting of left tackle Will Campbell, left guard Jared Wilson, center Garrett Bradbury, right guard Michael Onwenu and right tackle Morgan Moses.

While Maye’s fourth-quarter fumble may place a pall over his overall performance, the Pats’ third overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft turned in a statistically sound outing in Week 3. Maye completed 28-of-37 for 268 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He also ran the ball seven times for 45 yards in the losing effort.

Tight end Hunter Henry was one of the few bright spots on offense for New England, logging 90 yards on eight catches and two touchdowns. The Pats captain caught a five-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter to become the fifth Patriots tight end in team history with at least 20 touchdown receptions. He added his 21st touchdown as a member of the Pats with a 16-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter. Through New England’s first three games this season Henry has played on 86.3 percent of their snaps on offense. Given that he spent some time on the sidelines due to a knee injury in Week 3, Henry’s usage will be worth watching heading into Week 4.

Running back Rhamondre Stevenson’s issues in securing the football once again surfaced in Week 3, finishing the day with only four carries for 18 yards. Most importantly, the Pats starting running back fumbled the ball twice in crucial situations for the team’s offense. Stevenson’s difficulties resulted in his lowest snap total of the season, aligning on only 27 snaps on offense.

DEFENSE

On defense, the Pats overall snap count was 54 versus the Steelers.

Defensive Observations:

New England had four defensive players align on each of their 54 snaps on the preventive side of the ball: safety Jaylinn Hawkins, cornerbacks Carlton Davis III and Marcus Jones and linebacker Robert Spillane.

Spillane’s complete game performance against the Steelers proves that the Pats first-year captain is already becoming a team leader both on and off the field. Spillane led all Pats’ defenders with 15 total tackles, one pass deflection, one tackle-for-loss and a third-quarter interception which nearly returned for a touchdown.

Credited with at least one missed tackle, linebacker Christian Elliss yielded some second-half playing time to free-agent acquisition Jack Gibbens. Elliss aligned on only 19 snaps on defense, while Gibbens logged a season high 24. Given his experience with Vrabel’s defense, it will be interesting to see the former Tennessee Titan may be in store for additional playing time heading into Week 4.

Marcus Jones went the distance for the second straight week, taking the majority of the team’s defenisve snaps over Alex Austin — who aligned for only 14. With second-team All-Pro Christian Gonzalez having already been ruled out for this Week 3 matchup, Carlton Davis drew the majority of his coverage against Steelers receiver D.K. Metcalf. Ultimately, the veteran cornerback allowed a touchdown to Metcalf on the Steelers’ second drive. He was also flagged for a questionable 18-yard defensive pass interference early in the fourth quarter. Charles Woods took a season-high 15 snaps, as he entered the rotation of defensive backs who continue to struggle in Gonzalez’s absence.

Despite entering the season amid some concern surrounding his ability to take on a full workload, defensive tackle Milton Williams has put any concerns to rest by aligning on 72.4 percent of the Patriots snaps on defense through the first three games. Prior to signing with New England in March, the veteran free-agent a career-high in playing time with 47.8 percent in 2024 with the Philadelphia Eagles. Williams aligned on 38 defenisve snaps, finishing the game with two tackles and two tackles-for-loss.