Eagles Snap Counts: Forget About the LB Rotation
Here’s a look at snap counts for the Eagles during their Week 2 win over the Ravens. We’ll go position-by-position.
| Overall Snaps | Snap % | |
|---|---|---|
| LeSean McCoy | 69 | 86% |
| Bryce Brown | 8 | 10% |
| Stanley Havili | 17 | 21% |
Why these are so useful: During the game, I would have bet that the Eagles spelled LeSean McCoy quite a bit. It sure seemed that way, especially early. But really, he played the same percentage of snaps as always. Last year, McCoy was on the field for 86.1 percent of the snaps. Against the Ravens? Also 86 percent. When he came out, Bryce Brown replaced him, but Brown only played eight snaps. He had three carries for 7 yards and fumbled one exchange from Michael Vick.
Meanwhile, fullback Stanley Havili played 21 percent of the snaps. That’s slightly more than he played last week (19 percent) and more than Owen Schmitt played last year (15.8 percent).
| Overall Snaps | Snap % | |
|---|---|---|
| DeSean Jackson | 72 | 90% |
| Jason Avant | 56 | 70% |
| Jeremy Maclin | 43 | 54% |
| Damaris Johnson | 22 | 28% |
| Brent Celek | 76 | 95% |
| Clay Harbor | 36 | 45% |
DeSean Jackson rarely came off the field, playing 72 snaps or 90 percent of the game. Jackson had seven catches for 114 yards. Vick only threw incomplete once when throwing in Jackson’s direction. Maclin, meanwhile, battled the hip pointer and played 54 percent of the snaps. He had just one catch, but it was a big one – the 23-yard touchdown in the third. Jason Avant filled in, playing 70 percent of the snaps. And Damaris Johnson played 22 snaps, or 28 percent of the game. That was an increase from last week (14 percent). He had one catch for 13 yards.
Brent Celek took some big hits, but they didn’t faze him, as the tight end played 76 snaps (95 percent). He was Vick’s go-to target, catching eight balls for 157 yards. The Eagles played with two tight ends quite a bit as Clay Harbor was on the field for 36 snaps (45 percent). Taking away Week 17 of the 2010 season when the Eagles sat their starters, this was the second-highest percentage of snaps for Harbor in his career. He had one catch on two targets for 19 yards.
On the offensive line, center Dallas Reynolds played 37 snaps (46 percent) after coming in for Jason Kelce. Demetress Bell played 35 snaps (44 percent) filling in for King Dunlap.
| Overall Snaps | Snap % | |
|---|---|---|
| Trent Cole | 48 | 69% |
| Jason Babin | 44 | 63% |
| Fletcher Cox | 51 | 73% |
| Derek Landri | 37 | 53% |
| Cullen Jenkins | 32 | 46% |
| Cedric Thornton | 22 | 31% |
| Darryl Tapp | 22 | 31% |
| Phillip Hunt | 15 | 21% |
| Brandon Graham | 9 | 13% |
Fletcher Cox played more snaps than any other defensive lineman, although I believe Cullen Jenkins got banged-up in the second half, leaving the Eagles a bit thin at DT. Cox finished with five tackles, including one for loss. Cole and Babin (69 percent and 63 percent, respectively) played defensive end with the first group. As I’ll probably point out every week, while Juan Castillo says the team has eight starters, some defensive linemen will play more than others. Brandon Graham played nine snaps after playing just four in Week 1. To his credit, he looked very active when he got a chance. Phillip Hunt saw just six more snaps than Graham.
| Overall Snaps | Snap % | |
|---|---|---|
| DeMeco Ryans | 70 | 100% |
| Mychal Kendricks | 70 | 100% |
| Akeem Jordan | 37 | 53% |
Did someone say three-down linebackers? Forget about the rotation – for now. DeMeco Ryans and Mychal Kendricks are playing too well. Neither came off the field Sunday against the Ravens – at all. They both played all 70 snaps. Akeem Jordan, meanwhile, played 37 snaps (53 percent). The Eagles were in their base defense much more than Week 1 when Jordan played 32 percent of the snaps.
| Overall Snaps | Snap % | |
|---|---|---|
| Nnamdi Asomugha | 70 | 100% |
| Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie | 64 | 91% |
| Brandon Boykin | 33 | 47% |
| Brandon Hughes | 6 | 9% |
| Nate Allen | 70 | 100% |
| Kurt Coleman | 70 | 100% |
Nnamdi Asomugha, Nate Allen and Kurt Coleman all played the entire game. I remember giving McManus a nudge when Rodgers-Cromartie came off the field. I’m not sure what the reason was, but Brandon Hughes replaced him on six snaps. Brandon Boykin came up big on the final drive. He played 33 snaps (47 percent), down from 63 percent in Week 1, as the Ravens used fewer three-receiver sets.
Follow Sheil Kapadia on Twitter and e-mail him at skapadia@phillymag.com.