Notes and thoughts on the Patriots’ snap counts from their 40-7 loss to the Chargers.
The New England Patriots’ 40-7 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers was a debacle, and it could have been even worse. On the team’s third offensive snap of the day, quarterback Drake Maye absorbed a head-to-head collision on a scramble.
Maye immediately went into the blue medical tent, and later left the field entirely to head to the locker room. However, his absence was a brief one: he cleared the concussion check and returned to the game in the early second quarter after having missed a total of three plays.
“Just kind of got my bell rung on the first drive,” Maye later explained. “I don’t know if any of y’all ever played and you got hit, but sometimes you get your bell rung, and you’ve got to shake back. I guess the spotter called down again and had to pass some tests. I feel good, I still feel good, and then I was good to go.”
Maye went 5-for-5 for 66 yards, including a 36-yard touchdown to DeMario Douglas, in the first half. However, the Patriots were ultimately unable to hang with the Chargers and by the early fourth quarter found themselves in a 37-7 hole.
Despite the deficit and Maye’s injury scare earlier in the game, however, the rookie remained in the game for two more drives. Both ended in a three-and-out, but it was still somewhat surprising to see New England send its quarterback out there after the Chargers had a) built an unassailable lead and b) pulled their own QB.
“I wanted to be in the game. I want to be out there with those guys,” Maye later explained. “If our guys are out there, I want to be out there with them. Shoot, may see something that may help us next week out there. …
“At the end of the day, those guys up front, they’re battling their butts off. So, I’m not going to be out there and go to the coach and say, ‘Hey, take me out.’ That’s not me.”
His coach, Jerod Mayo, saw no flaw with that logic after the game had ended.
“We’re trying to develop a quarterback, and he wants to play,” Mayo said. “He’s a competitor. He went out there.”
Here are more takeaways from the Patriots’ playing time numbers against the Chargers.
Offense
Total snaps: 53 | Time on the field: 18:15
LT Vederian Lowe* (53; 100%), LG Layden Robinson* (53; 100%), C Cole Strange* (53; 100%), WR DeMario Douglas* (49; 92%), QB Drake Maye* (43; 81%), RG Michael Onwenu* (42; 79%), WR Kayshon Boutte* (41; 77%), RT Demontrey Jacobs* (38; 72%), WR Kendrick Bourne* (38; 72%), TE Hunter Henry* (30; 57%), RB Antonio Gibson (29; 55%), TE Austin Hooper (24; 45%), RB Rhamondre Stevenson* (24; 45%), RT Caedan Wallace (15; 28%), WR Ja’Lynn Polk (12; 23%), RG Lester Cotton (11; 21%), WR Javon Baker (11; 21%), QB Jacoby Brissett (10; 19%), TE Jaheim Bell (7; 13%)
*denotes starter
Ahead of Saturday’s game, Jerod Mayo said in a radio interview that the Patriots would start Antonio Gibson over Rhamondre Stevenson at running back. When the offense took the field for the first time, however, Stevenson was with the starters in what Mayo later called a “coaching decision.” While he did start, the fourth-year back was ultimately out-snapped by his teammate. Whereas Stevenson played 24 offensive snaps, Gibson played 29.
Changes of the established mode of operation also happened along the offensive line, for two reasons.
The first was center Ben Brown missing the game with a concussion; he was replaced by former first-round draft pick Cole Strange, who made his first career start at the position. The other was the blowout nature of the game shaking things up late: in the fourth quarter, the Patriots decided to change the right side of their line.
Tackle Demontrey Jacobs was the first to be pulled, getting replaced by Caedan Wallace. The third-round rookie played 15 snaps, which were actually his first at right tackle this season.
Guard Michael Onwenu later also went to the bench in favor of Lester Cotton, marking the first time since October 2023 that he missed some offensive snaps. Before getting pulled, Onwenu had been on the field for 1,632 straight snaps over 26 games.
This process of giving backup players an opportunity late in a blowout also extended to the wide receiver position: Javon Baker tied his career-high with 11 offensive snaps on the day, after replacing Kayshon Boutte down the stretch. However, neither he nor fellow rookie Ja’Lynn Polk — who continues playing a marginal role as New England’s WR4 — were able to catch any passes against the Chargers.
Defense
Total snaps: 79 | Time on the field: 39:52
S Kyle Dugger* (76; 96%), CB Alex Austin* (73; 92%), DT Jeremiah Pharms Jr.* (60; 76%), CB Isaiah Bolden (60; 76%), S Marte Mapu* (59; 75%), LB/ED Jahlani Tavai* (59; 75%), ED Anfernee Jennings* (59; 75%), DT Daniel Ekuale* (54; 68%), LB Christian Elliss (49; 62%), CB Jonathan Jones (46; 58%), DE/ED Keion White (40; 51%), DT Davon Godchaux* (38; 48%), LB Sione Takitaki* (31; 39%), DE/ED Deatrich Wise Jr.* (31; 39%), ED Yannick Ngakoue (31; 39%), DT Eric Johnson II (30; 38%), S Jaylinn Hawkins (27; 34%), CB Christian Gonzalez* (24; 30%), S Dell Pettus (17; 22%), CB Marcellas Dial Jr. (3; 4%), S Brenden Schooler (2; 3%)
*denotes starter
The Patriots’ blowout also led to some mixing and matching on the defensive side of the ball. The main catalyst between some of the more prominent playing time numbers above, however, was injuries.
The most notable happened to Christian Gonzalez. The Patriots’ No. 1 cornerback — usually a candidate to play close to 100 percent of snaps — was lost in the early second quarter because of a head injury. The team inserted Isaiah Bolden into its defensive lineup in his place, resulting in a career-high in snaps and playing time share for the sophomore.
Also setting a career mark, at least in the number of snaps played, was fellow cornerback Alex Austin. The second-year man served as the starter opposite Gonzalez for a second straight game, a consequence of starting nickel back Marcus Jones suffering a season-ending hip injury.
The safety usage also was impacted by injuries. While Kyle Dugger played a high number of snaps despite nursing ankle and quad injuries, Marte Mapu again served in a starting capacity with Jabrill Peppers out with a hamstring issue. The second-year defender has now started back-to-back games after previously serving as a healthy scratch two straight weeks.
In their front seven, the Patriots relied heavily on Jeremiah Pharms Jr. and ended up using him on 60 snaps for a 76 percent playing time share — both marking new career-highs for the former undrafted free agent. Pharms Jr. is a beneficiary of Christian Barmore recently returning to the non-football illness list.
Special Teams
Total snaps: 26 | Time on the field: 1:53
S Jaylinn Hawkins (25; 96%), CB Marcellas Dial Jr. (25; 96%), S Brenden Schooler (25; 96%), ED Titus Leo (25; 96%), S Marte Mapu (20; 77%), TE Jaheim Bell (17; 65%), ED Monty Rice (13; 50%), LB Jahlani Tavai (12; 46%), LB Christian Elliss (12; 46%), LB Sione Takitaki (12; 46%), WR/PR Alex Erickson (11; 42%), RB/KR JaMycal Hasty (11; 42%), RB/KR Antonio Gibson (9; 35%), DT Jeremiah Pharms Jr. (9; 35%), DE Keion White (9; 35%), DE Deatrich Wise Jr. (8; 31%), DT Eric Johnson II (8; 31%), S Dell Pettus (7; 27%), LS Joe Cardona (5; 19%), P/H Bryce Baringer (5; 19%), K Joey Slye (5; 19%), CB Alex Austin (4; 15%), CB Isaiah Bolden (4; 15%), G Layden Robinson (1; 4%), G Michael Onwenu (1; 4%), OT Demontrey Jacobs (1; 4%), TE Austin Hooper (1; 4%), OT Caedan Wallace (1; 4%), G Lester Cotton (1; 4%), OL Lecitus Smith (1; 4%)
Special teamers coming close to a 100 percent playing time share is a rarity, but Sunday’s game saw four players — Jaylinn Hawkins, Marcellas Dial Jr., Brenden Schooler, Titus Leo — come within a single snap of that mark. The reason is the same why six offensive linemen played one snap on the day: the Patriots’ kicking team took the field just once on an extra point attempt, with the other 25 snaps reserved for the return and coverage squads.
The players used on those teams did not come as a surprise, meanwhile. The only truly noteworthy development was Isaiah Bolden playing just four snaps as a result of his increased playing time on defense.
Did not play
N/A
As opposed to the previous two games since returning from their bye week, the Patriots used every player on the game day roster versus Los Angeles. The game getting out of hand in the second half contributed to this, as did — at least in Quarter 1 — backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett replacing starter Drake Maye for one series.
Inactive
S Jabrill Peppers, QB Joe Milton III, RB Terrell Jennings, OL Sidy Sow, OL Tyrese Robinson, C Ben Brown
The Patriots ruled out six players ahead of Saturday’s kickoff, including two — the aforementioned Ben Brown and Jabrill Peppers — who had previously been listed on the injury report. The others were all healthy scratches, including 2023 13-game starter Sidy Sow.