Snap Counts and Starters versus Colts

[Fencer]

Per Reiss, the offensive starters were:

LT: Nate Solder
LG: Logan Mankins
C: Ryan Wendell
RG: Dan Connolly
RT: Marcus Cannon
TE: Michael Hoomanawanui
TE: Matthew Mulligan
QB: Tom Brady
RB: LeGarrette Blount
FB: James Develin
WR: Matthew Slater

There are exactly 2 guys on that list who the Patriots acquired with higher than a 5th-round pick. And Mankins is playing hurt, not that you could tell from his performance yesterday.

The only other costly acquisitions I can think of who got use on offense were Vereen, Ridley and Amendola.

The defensive starters were:

DE: Rob Ninkovich
DT: Sealver Siliga
DT: Chris Jones
DE: Chandler Jones
LB: Dont'a Hightower
LB: Dane Fletcher
LB: Jamie Collins
CB: Aqib Talib
CB: Alfonzo Dennard
S: Steve Gregory
S: Devin McCourty

4 of those guys were acquired with higher than a 4th-round pick. I think the only other somewhat costly guy in the rotation was Ryan.

By way of comparison, 4 very successful high picks who would have started are on IR (Gronk, Vollmer, Wilfork and Mayo), along with Spikes.

 

[jah]

To be fair, that was the goal line package.

 

[Fencer]

Defensive snaps vs. Colts

Snaps: How New England Patriots replaced Brandon Spikes - ESPN Boston

Apparently the formation was 3/4 nickel but little or no dime, with Collins and Hightower as the nickel LBs. That evidently created the irony that Fletcher played only or mainly in the base defense, replacing Spikes.

 

[manxman2601]

Re: Defensive snaps vs. Colts

CB Logan Ryan – 41 of 65
CB Kyle Arrington – 17 of 65

Arrington wasn't injured was he? Not good for him if he wasn't.

 

[Fencer]

Re: Defensive snaps vs. Colts

Snaps: How New England Patriots replaced Brandon Spikes - ESPN Boston

Apparently the formation was 3/4 nickel but little or no dime, with Collins and Hightower as the nickel LBs. That evidently created the irony that Fletcher played only or mainly in the base defense, replacing Spikes.

Reiss has now doubled down on this. Clean-up from New England Patriots' win over Indianapolis Colts - ESPN Boston

A general observation on linebacker Dane Fletcher: While his primary defensive contributions in the regular season came leading the dime package, he looks more effective as a mike ‘backer in the base D than in coverage as a sub 'backer. The first two plays of the game reflected this as he bit slightly on play-action to free up tight end Jack Doyle for a 7-yard gain, but then responded on the next play on a strong fill up the middle to contribute to stopping Donald Brown on a 1-yard run.

 

[patchick]

To be fair, that was the goal line package.

Yep, thanks to that INT Matthew Slater is now the Pats' only playoff starter at WR.

Cue the trolls: "Pats starting WRs have ZERO receptions in the playoffs!"

 

[Rob0729]

Re: Defensive snaps vs. Colts

Arrington wasn't injured was he? Not good for him if he wasn't.

Arrington played like crap and was benched for Ryan.

The sad thing is that of all the offseason moves the Pats made or didn't make that got panned this offseason (not re-signing Welker, trading for Blount, etc.), re-signing Arrington flew under the radar a bit and may have been the worst offseason move of the bunch. And unfortunately he is uncutable next season.