Capital Card
The Kobayashi of Kool-Aid
Hard to gleam much from week 1, but here is my analysis of week 1 player snap-counts.
Offense:
1. No surprises on OL. We all know that Watford spelled Mathis due to injury. Mathis played 29 of 61 snaps. I seem to recall he came back into the game, but I don't recall if he finished it.
2. At RB, Stepfan Taylor was inactive. Given his playing time historically has been primarily on ST, I was a bit surprised he was inactive. As a 4th year player, I don't know how he keeps his job all year as a healthy scratch.
3. We are going to ride David Johnson. He played on 58 snaps, or 95% of every offensive play. I love the kid, but seriously? CJ2Snaps spelled DJ's only relief. Andre Ellington was in the backfield for 9 plays, of which 8 were with David.
4. I'm not one to Bash Niklas (too loudly) but I do not remember him on the field other than on ST, where he, Bethel, and Alan Fua spend most of their time. All three TE's played almost exactly the same number of Offensive snaps. 22, 23, and 20.
5. Fitz and Floyd were in on almost every play, with JB seeing action on 57% of plays. Jaron Brown played on 17 downs, and the undersized speedster Nelson for 2 before hurting his shoulder. (Jaron saw an additional 17 plays on ST - no ST duty for JJ)
Defense:
1. How do we know depth is an issue at DB? All of the starters (PP, Jefferson, Mathiew, Buchannon, and even rookie B.Williams) played every snap. Branch saw the field on 72% of Defensive snaps... (does that mean we are in a nickle that often?) Swearinger rounds out the group with an additional 6 plays on D - one of which was a VERY STUPID AND COSTLY penalty for his choreographed dance with Chandler Jones. I hope to NEVER see that again.
2. For all the D-Line Depth, three of them were inactive in week 1 (Williams, Stinson, and Pierre). Nkemdiche managed 15 plays, but I really only saw him two or three times... once for the offsides penalty.
3. Calais is still on the field too much. 59 plays doesn't allow him to rest up and be fresh towards the end. That said, I think he is the kind of steady force we'll end up missing next year when he moves on for a contract we won't match.
4. As for LB's, only D.Buch played every snap, though Minter and Chandler were in on 90+% of plays. Golden saw 46 plays on defense, and Oakafor "contributed" on 7. Of the remaining LB's Fua and Martin are strictly ST players, as was Lamar Lewis who is our first scratch of the season.
That's about all I've got. It's always interesting to see how folks play time evolves over a season.
Go Cards!!!
Offense:
1. No surprises on OL. We all know that Watford spelled Mathis due to injury. Mathis played 29 of 61 snaps. I seem to recall he came back into the game, but I don't recall if he finished it.
2. At RB, Stepfan Taylor was inactive. Given his playing time historically has been primarily on ST, I was a bit surprised he was inactive. As a 4th year player, I don't know how he keeps his job all year as a healthy scratch.
3. We are going to ride David Johnson. He played on 58 snaps, or 95% of every offensive play. I love the kid, but seriously? CJ2Snaps spelled DJ's only relief. Andre Ellington was in the backfield for 9 plays, of which 8 were with David.
4. I'm not one to Bash Niklas (too loudly) but I do not remember him on the field other than on ST, where he, Bethel, and Alan Fua spend most of their time. All three TE's played almost exactly the same number of Offensive snaps. 22, 23, and 20.
5. Fitz and Floyd were in on almost every play, with JB seeing action on 57% of plays. Jaron Brown played on 17 downs, and the undersized speedster Nelson for 2 before hurting his shoulder. (Jaron saw an additional 17 plays on ST - no ST duty for JJ)
Defense:
1. How do we know depth is an issue at DB? All of the starters (PP, Jefferson, Mathiew, Buchannon, and even rookie B.Williams) played every snap. Branch saw the field on 72% of Defensive snaps... (does that mean we are in a nickle that often?) Swearinger rounds out the group with an additional 6 plays on D - one of which was a VERY STUPID AND COSTLY penalty for his choreographed dance with Chandler Jones. I hope to NEVER see that again.
2. For all the D-Line Depth, three of them were inactive in week 1 (Williams, Stinson, and Pierre). Nkemdiche managed 15 plays, but I really only saw him two or three times... once for the offsides penalty.
3. Calais is still on the field too much. 59 plays doesn't allow him to rest up and be fresh towards the end. That said, I think he is the kind of steady force we'll end up missing next year when he moves on for a contract we won't match.
4. As for LB's, only D.Buch played every snap, though Minter and Chandler were in on 90+% of plays. Golden saw 46 plays on defense, and Oakafor "contributed" on 7. Of the remaining LB's Fua and Martin are strictly ST players, as was Lamar Lewis who is our first scratch of the season.
That's about all I've got. It's always interesting to see how folks play time evolves over a season.
Go Cards!!!