Denver Broncos game 3 snap count analysis

First, our game-day inactives were significantly different than the previous week: Drew Lock, Phillip Lindsay, Devontae Harris, Netane Muti, Blake Bortles, Albert Okwuegbunam, and Nick Vannett.

The Denver Broncos newly signed QB, Bortles, was not active hence the insertion of Brett Rypien after Jeff Driskel played poorly. Drew Lock was also inactive and Devontae Harris went from zero defensive snaps in game two to inactive in game three. After playing poorly in the first two weeks, Nick Vannett was also inactive.

Offense

I had to add Rypien in to the table since he was included at NFLGSIS.com but not at Pro-football-reference.com which is where I pull my data.

For the third straight game, our entire offensive line played every offensive snap. For the second straight game, our QB was under almost constant pressure. PFR lists the Bucs defense with 10 QBhits and 6.0 sacks. So in the last two games our QBs have been hit without being sacked 29 times and sacked 13.0 times. There were years when Peyton Manning was sacked less than 13 times in 16 games. This was partly the fault of the offensive line, but some of the blame rests with Driskel not recognizing the blitz and holding on to the ball too long.

K.J. Hamler got the most snaps of the WR group with 58 (92 percent). While Tim Patrick and Jerry Jeudy played 84 and 73 percent respectively. We did not use many four-WR sets despite being in 3rd and long on almost every 3rd down. Because of that, DaeSean Hamilton played only 12 offensive snaps (19 percent). Tyrie Cleveland got four snaps while Diontae Spencer got two.

The Broncos have had 38 offensive 3rd down plays this season. Eleven of those have been 3rd and short (1-3 yards needed). Three have been third and medium (4-6 yards needed) and the remaining 24 have been 3rd and long (7 or more yards needed). The average yardage that the Broncos have needed to gain on 3rd down so far this season has been 8.57 yards. Our offense so far has had the same number of 3rd and 20 or mores, four, as we have had third and one’s.

Only Minnesota has been worse so far this year - needing an average of 9.1 yards on 3rd down. Not surprisingly they are also 0-3.

The TE group saw Noah Fant get used heavily with 53 snaps (84 percent). Jake Butt was used sparingly with 18 snaps (29 percent). Butt got targeted once and caught it for a 5 yard gain. Fant had two consecutive drops this game and ended up only catching five of ten targets. Fant was our most targeted receiver. Andrew Beck played six offensive snaps (10 percent) as the only other active TE.

Melvin Gordon played 39 offensive snaps (62 percent) while Royce Freeman got the other 24 offensive snaps (38 percent).

Offensive players who got no offensive snaps were LeVante Bellamy, Austin Schlottmann, Calvin Anderson and Demar Dotson. All but Dotson played on special teams.

Defense

There were some interesting developments on defense in game three. Three players who had not gotten any defensive snaps in the previous two games played and two of them played significant snaps.

Along the defensive line the loss of DeMarcus Walker and Dre’Mont Jones meant that DeShaun Williams 27 snaps (40 percent) and rookie McTelvin Agim 9 snaps (13 percent) saw their first action this season. Williams was playing in an NFL for the first time since the 2016 season when he was surprisingly effective for the Bengals in 57 total snaps (2 tackles, 4 QBhits, 0.5 sacks). Jurrell Casey, Bradley Chubb and Mike Purcell all played about the same amount (48, 48 and 47 snaps), while Shelby Harris played 39. Harris, Casey and Chubb accounted for all of our QBhits (6) and sacks (2), but Tom Brady was rarely pressured.

Our inside linebackers saw Alexander Johnson play every snap (again) while Josey Jewell only came off the field for six defensive plays. Joseph Jones and Austin Calitro did not play any defensive snaps despite both playing heavily on special teams. Jones made a really nice play to block an extra point.

Our outside linebacker group saw a big surprise with Anthony Chickillo getting the most snaps at 33 (49 percent) followed by Malik Reed (29 snaps, 43 percent) and Jeremiah Attaochu (26 snaps, 38 percent). Of course, if you are still viewing Chubb as an OLB, then he got the most, but I have begun viewing him as a DE since I can’t remember seeing him in coverage this year. It saws a great deal that Chickillo, who was signed about two weeks ago, played the most (or second most) snaps of our OLB group.

The CB group saw Bryce Callahan and Michael Ojemudia both play 66 snaps (97 percent). Essang Bassey was or CB3 for this game (39 snaps, 57 percent) while Duke Dawson played one defensive snap.

The Safety group saw Kareem Jackson and Justin Simmons take every defense snap (again). We used three safeties a few times with P.J. Locke and Trey Marshall each getting two defensive snaps.

Other defensive players not previously mentioned who were active but did not play any defensive snaps are De’Vante Bausby and Derrek Tuszka. Bausby played ten special teams snaps while Tuszka did not play at all (similar to Demar Dotson).