New England Patriots Blog - Snaps played by offensive skill position players - ESPN Boston
very valid points
very valid points
This was a game where the Patriots lack of a third receiving threat hurt in three-wide sets. Sam Aiken played 34 snaps, didn't have a catch, and wasn't targeted once. He was often matched against cornerback Champ Bailey. Joey Galloway has been inactive the last two weeks, and based on the results from third receivers in that time, Galloway should have a chance to fill that No. 3 void again, starting Sunday against the Titans. ... Another disappointment for the Patriots was that Randy Moss played 54 snaps and was targeted with just three throws. They'll probably look back and determine they could have worked harder to get him the ball, even while the Broncos were consistently rolling safety help over the top of him. Creative alterations, like motioning him out of the backfield as they did on the opening drive of the second half, could have been used more. ... Laurence Maroney had his playtime dramatically reduced, a reflection of his recent struggles. It seems fair to suggest that the coaching staff doesn't have full confidence in him at this point. Maroney was also taken off kickoff returns. ... BenJarvus Green-Ellis was active to help fill the void by Fred Taylor's injury, but didn't play an offensive snap, only on special teams.