Reiss- Offensive Participation

[MrBigglesWorth]

January 15, 2007
Offensive participation
A look at the offensive participation from Patriots skill position players in Sunday's win over the Chargers:

WR Reche Caldwell -- 71 of 74 snaps (95.9 percent)
WR Jabar Gaffney -- 70 of 74 (94.5 percent)
TE Daniel Graham -- 58 of 74 (78.3 percent)
RB Kevin Faulk -- 47 of 74 (63.5 percent)
WR Troy Brown -- 46 of 74 (62.1 percent)
TE Benjamin Watson -- 43 of 74 (58.1 percent)
RB Corey Dillon -- 14 of 74 (18.9 percent)
RB Laurence Maroney -- 13 of 74 (17.5 percent)
TE David Thomas -- 5 of 74 (6.7 percent)
FB Heath Evans -- 3 of 74 (4.0 percent)
WR Chad Jackson -- 0 of 74 (0 percent)
WR Kelvin Kight -- 0 of 74 (0 percent)

(snaps include the successful two-point conversion in the fourth quarter, but don't include a Drayton Florence illegal contact penalty, and a Logan Mankins holding penalty, as those weren't official plays)

ANALYSIS: These numbers shed further light on how impressive of a performance Reche Caldwell and Jabar Gaffney put forth. They both really went wire to wire. The only three offensive snaps Caldwell wasn't on the field for came on the team's last three plays, when the offense went to a power package to set up the winning field goal and milk the clock. Ditto for Gaffney, who was on the sidelines for those three snaps and one first-half snap. The ability of Caldwell and Gaffney to play that many snaps, and never leave the field, is a reflection on their conditioning and toughness. It was interesting to note that the Patriots only played with three receivers in this one, as Chad Jackson and Kelvin Kight didn't take an offensive snap. At running back, this was a game for Kevin Faulk as the Patriots went to their three-wide package for the majority of the second half, and he's usually part of that group. His abilities in blitz pickup also play a part in the increased playing time, and he was solid in that area as well.

Posted By: mreiss | Time: 11:16:58 AM | Link | E-mail to

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

Props to Caldwell and Gaffney for being in shape to run that many plays.

 

[BelichickFan]

Gaffney and Caldwell crack me up. Teamates in college, leaving together as second round picks - basically busts (not necessarily their fault, but busts nontheless), signed off the scrap heap for almost nothing, now starting together in the AFCC game.