Patriots-Raiders OFFENSE Snap Counts: Who Played Most, Best?

FOXBORO — Following their 23-6 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in their preseason finale on Friday at Allegiant Stadium, the New England Patriots continue to take stock into their performance on both sides of the ball.

Having turned in a subpar performance, there are plenty of areas in which the Pats will seek improvement. While game-film analysis will be the main focus, a look at playing time may assist the team in helping devise effective strategies moving forward.

Here is a look at the Patriots offensive snap counts, along with some possible insight on New England’s future game-planning.

Offensive Snaps

On offense, the Pats overall snap count was 59 versus the Raiders.

Despite pregame indications that New England’s starters would see minimal time on Friday, starter Mac Jones actually logged the most offensive snaps among the quarterbacks with 25. Though he sprinkled a handful of impressive completions, Jones looked uncomfortable in the pocket for much of his time on the field. He completed 9 of 13 passes for 71 yards and one interception. The Alabama product was sacked twice, while absorbing an additional hit in his four drives. In what is likely to be his last extended period on the field for quite a while, rookie Bailey Zappe finished the night going 10 of 14 for 84 yards with one interception.

Running back Rhamondre Stevenson led all rushers by logging 16 offensive snaps, carrying the ball five times for 22 yards. However, veteran J.J. Taylor made a potently impactful final push to earn his spot in the rotation. The former Arizona Wildcat gained 29 yards from scrimmage through a handful of touches. He also demonstrated some impressive hustle on a fumble recovery. Rookie Kevin Harris made the most of his 10 snaps, gaining 54 yards on four carries; his longest going for 33 yards. Hybrid rusher/receiver Ty Montgomery, who many had speculated might become the Pats primary option on third-down, left the game early with an ankle injury; having seen the field for only five snaps. If Montgomery is going to be sidelined for any length of time, the door may be open to both Harris and Taylor to each earn a spot on the 53-man roster.

With rookie Tyquan Thornton expected to miss 6-8 weeks following surgery to repair a fractured clavicle, reserve receivers Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Tre Nixon continue to battle for a spot on the regular-season depth chart. Humphrey has been the more impressive of the two, heading into the season finale with 11 catches for 131 yards and a touchdown to go with a doubled-teamed dive to save a touchback. While he logged only two catches for seven yards on 34 snaps against Las Vegas, the ex-New Orleans Saint may have snagged the upper hand due to his special teams prowess. Wideout Jakobi Meyers had his night cut short after taking only nine offensive snaps. After briefly being evaluated in the medical tent, Meyers returned to the sidelines, where he was seen riding the stationary bike.

While Matt Sokol (24) and Jalen Wydermyer (18) led all tight ends in snaps against the Raiders, their respective chances of surviving final cuts are slim, at best. As a rookie, Wydermyer could be an intriguing option for the Patriots practice squad. Perhaps the most prominent statement at the position came from Devin Asiasi’s absence from the Pats’ preseason finale. Though he was reportedly resting a minor quad injury, the UCLA product is teetering on the brink when it comes to earning a spot on the 53-man roster.

Though he may have led all offensive linemen in taking 34 snaps, swing tackle Justin Herron did not help his cause in attempting to earn a spot among New England’s protective unit. In a reversal of the alignments the team used during two days of joint practices earlier in the week, Herron took snaps at left tackle, while Yodny Cajuste (30 snaps) played on the right. Herron was beaten on a strip sack of quarterback Brian Hoyer by Raiders linebacker (and ex-Patriot) Tashawn Bower. Herron’s progressive decline makes him a name to watch during roster cut-downs. Undrafted rookie Kody Russey logged 20 snaps in back up duty at center, a role he might have the chance to procure in the coming days.