German_Force » Week 5 Patriots vs Colts snap count report: New England’s

wide receiver position is taking shape with Julian Edelman back The New England Patriots had another solid performance during their victory over the visiting Indianapolis Colts on Thursday night. While the team showed some inconsistencies http://www.patriotslockerroom.com/authentic-josh-gordon-jersey , it again saw contributions by every layer of its depth chart. Let’s take a closer look at the snap count numbers from the Patriots’ 38-24 win:Julian Edelman had an eventful return...After missing the Patriots’ last 23 games due to injury and suspension, Julian Edelman returned to the field on Thursday and had a busy night: the veteran, who finished the game with seven catches for 57 yards, was on the field for 70% of New England’s offensive snaps (48 of 69). With Edelman back in the lineup, the Patriots’ wide receiver group is finally starting to take shape. The 32-year old will serve as one of the top options at the position with Chris Hogan, Phillip Dorsett, and Josh Gordon also regular members of the rotation....while Cordarrelle Patterson was used as a role playerMeanwhile, offseason acquisition Cordarrelle Patterson appears to have been given a more specialized role within the offense: New England is trying to take advantage his speed and vision as a runner in the screen game and on misdirection plays. On Thursday, Patterson was therefore on the field for just eight snaps (of 69; 12%) but finished with two receptions for 11 yards and a touchdown. He will likely be a package-based option moving forward Antonio Garcia Jersey , and not the 40% wide receiver he was prior to Edelman’s return.The defensive tackle rotation is in full effectNew England is deep along its defensive line and the interior spots are a perfect reflection of that. Against the Colts, the Patriots rotated its four top tackles on a regular basis with none of them playing more than half of the defense’s 83 snaps: Lawrence Guy led the group (40; 48%), with Adam Butler (37; 45%), Danny Shelton (35; 42%), and Malcom Brown (22; 27%) also seeing considerable playing time. Brown’s likely would have been higher if not for a second-quarter injury.Kyle Van Noy continues to be the Patriots’ number one linebackerWhile Dont’a Hightower is the defense’s on-field signal caller and one of its leaders, he currently is not the number one linebacker in terms of playing time: Kyle Van Noy is. Hightower was on the field for 67% of the team’s defensive snaps (56 of 83) against Indianapolis, while Van Noy played 88% (73 of 83). The duo will continue serving as the one-two punch at the position, with Elandon Roberts the first player off the bench (41; 49%).The rookie cornerbacks saw limited actionOne week after J.C. Jackson recorded his first career interception, the undrafted rookie was on the field for just five defensive snaps verus the Colts. Seventh-round draft pick Keion Crossen also saw only limited playing time as New England opted to extensively use its top three at the position – Stephon Gilmore Womens Julian Edelman Jersey , Jason McCourty, Jonathan Jones – against a usually potent but injury-decimated Indianapolis offense.Seven players were on the field for 100% of the snapsOn offense, six players did not leave the field on Thursday: the five starters along the offensive line went wire-to-wire, as did quarterback Tom Brady. On defense, meanwhile, safety Devin McCourty was the lone player not to be given a break. Despite forcing and recovering a fumble, the team captain had a poor performance against the Colts – and needs to bounce back on Sunday versus the high-flying Kansas City Chiefs. No position in the NFL is as important as quarterback – and none is tied as close to winning and losing as well: if a team finds a good passer, its odds of having success increase. The Buffalo Bills have not had a lot of success ever since Hall of Famer Jim Kelly decided to retire, lacking the necessary stability at the game’s pivotal offensive position. Through the years http://www.patriotslockerroom.com/authentic-sony-michel-jersey , the team started multiple quarterbacks but none proved to be of the franchise type.This offseason, the Bills took a shot at the next candidate to finally fill this role by choosing Wyoming’s Josh Allen with the seventh overall pick of the draft. However, the selection has not yet brought the desired results so far this season: not only did the rookie – as was expected – struggle with among other things consistency, he also was knocked out of the Bills’ week six game because of an elbow injury.Allen missed last week’s game against the Indianapolis Colts because of the issue and will reportedly also miss next Monday’s game against the New England Patriots. In his place, veteran backup Derek Anderson, he of a 70.5 career passer rating, will start the two AFC East rivals’ first meeting of the year. Anderson, who just joined the Bills earlier this month, will therefore become the 13th quarterback to start a game against Bill Belichick’s Patriots.The 35-year old now joins a group reflective of Buffalo’s struggles at the quarterback position the past two decades – one that includes players such as Rob Johnson Joe Thuney Jersey , Kelly Holcomb, Trent Edwards, Thad Lewis and most recently Tyrod Taylor. Anderson and Allen, likely to become the 14th passer to start against New England later this season, are the latest additions to this litany of mediocre Bills quarterbacks. Meanwhile, the team’s opponent this week is the NFL’s model when it comes to consistency.Overall, just five passers started for Belichick’s Patriots throughout the years, with only four of them also starting at least once against Buffalo: Drew Bledsoe, who went on to also start for the Bills against New England Womens Cyrus Jones Jersey , Matt Cassel, Jacoby Brissett and of course Tom Brady. There is arguably nothing that shows the difference between the two teams since 2000 than this. Maybe Allen and Brady's closing window will lead to a reversal of roles in the future. But until then: enjoy it, New England for this is not to be taken for granted.