Missing Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis, Karon Prunty and Channing Canada, the New England Patriots were depleted at cornerback entering their Week 5 game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Add the fact that Charles Woods was questionable before the game with a shoulder injury, and you get a situation that can best be described as dire.
In order to provide some depth and still maintain a level of flexibility, the Patriots promoted Kindle Vildor from the practice squad to the 53-man roster leading up
to the contest. And they then immediately threw him into the fire: playing 44 of 60 defensive snaps, he ended the game second among New England’s cornerbacks behind only Marcus jones.
His impact went beyond his playing time. The March signing also had four tackles, a pass breakup and a forced fumble.
“He gets a PBU, gets a big punch out there, changes the momentum, helps us get the drive stopped,” said head coach Mike Vrabel on Monday.
“I think one of the coaches was talking and said, ‘Well, he had a mental error on the play, but he also had an extra effort.’ And so, I think that really defines what we want our identity to be, the ability to have an error or a mistake, but also the ability to go finish, still impact the play and know that a mental error doesn’t have to necessarily mean that the play is over or a mistake. It certainly doesn’t limit our ability to finish.”
Here is our full snap count report from the Patriots’ 45-17 win.
Offense
Total snaps: 75 | Time on the field: 33:38 | * denotes starter
QB Drake Maye* (75; 100%), LG Alijah Vera-Tucker* (75; 100%), C Jared Wilson* (75; 100%), RG Ben Brown* (75; 100%), RT Morgan Moses* (75; 100%), WR Romeo Doubs* (62; 83%), WR Efton Chism III* (57; 76%), RB Rhamondre Stevenson* (53; 71%), LT/TE Caleb Lomu (49; 65%), TE Hunter Henry* (48; 64%), TE Eli Raridon* (43; 57%), WR DeMario Douglas (37; 49%), LT Will Campbell* (28; 37%), WR Kyle Williams (27; 36%), RB Corey Kiner (15; 20%), TE/FB Tanner Arkin (15; 20%), RB TreVeyon Henderson (12; 16%), TE Cameron Latu (4; 5%)
Despite the game’s blowout nature, the Patriots kept their starters in the game to the final whistle. This meant that quarterback Drake Maye and four fifths of the offensive line went wire-to-wire. The lone exception was left tackle Will Campbell, who exited the game with a knee injury in the second quarter and is considered “week to week.” In his place, first-round rookie Caleb Lomu saw playing time at left tackle for the first time in his NFL career.
Campbell was not the only prominent player to depart and not return. TreVeyon Henderson got banged up on the end of an 11-yard carry in the second quarter, and he is expected to be out “multiple weeks” due to the high ankle sprain he sustained on the play. Third-stringer Corey Kiner saw increased snaps with Henderson absent; he finished with 52 yards and a fumble on six carries.
The Patriots also had to replace some other injured players. Mack Hollins’ role in the offense was filled by Efton Chism, who finished tied for the team lead with five catches. Fullback Reggie Gilliam’s role, meanwhile, transferred to tight end Tanner Arkin.
Defense
Total snaps: 60 | Time on the field: 24:10 | * denotes starter
LB Robert Spillane* (50; 83%), LB Christian Elliss* (50; 83%), C B Marcus Jones* (50; 83%), S Craig Woodson* (50; 83%), S Kevin Byard III* (50; 83%), CB Kindle Vildor (44; 73%), DT Milton Williams* (42; 70%), ED Gabe Jacas (39; 65%), ED Elijah Ponder* (36; 60%), CB Charles Woods* (36; 60%), ED Dre’Mont Jones* (34; 57%), DT Christian Barmore (27; 45%), S Jaylen Reed (22; 37%), S Mike Brown (22; 37%), DT DaQuan Jones (21; 35%), DT Cory Durden* (16; 27%), DT Joshua Farmer* (15; 25%), DT Leonard Taylor III (11; 18%), LB Darius Muasau (11; 18%), LB Namdi Obiazor (10; 17%), S Brenden Schooler (10; 17%), S Elliott Davison (10; 17%), LB Erick Hunter (4; 7%)
Besides the aforementioned Kindle Vildor, the Patriots relied on Marcus Jones and Charles Woods at cornerback. Together with safeties Craig Woodson and Kevin Byard, who both played all 50 relatively meaningful snaps on Sunday, they formed the foundation of New England’s secondary against the Raiders. Safeties Jaylen Reed and Mike Brown also were given a relatively high number of snaps, with the former coming on as a nickel back to help defend Raiders tight end Brock Bowers.
Up front, the Patriots again relied heavily on young edges Gabe Jacas and Elijah Ponder. Dre’Mont Jones also was part of the mix, but he exited the game in the early fourth quarter and did not return. In the middle, Leonard Taylor notched a sack in his 11 snaps.
The blowout nature of the game also allowed New England to give some of its backup defenders some extended reps, with linebackers Darius Muasau, Namdi Obiazor and Erick Hunter, and safeties Brenden Schooler and Elliott Davison all seeing action late.
Special teams
Total snaps: 29 | Time on the field: 2:12 | * denotes starter
TE Cameron Latu (24; 83%), S Brenden Schooler (22; 76%), LB Namdi Obiazor (21, 72%), S/PP Mike Brown (21, 72%), LB Darius Muasau (20; 69%), S Jaylen Reed (19; 66%), S Elliott Davison (19; 66%), LB Erick Hunter (16; 55%), K Andy Borregales (15; 52%), RB Corey Kiner (14; 48%), LB K.J. Britt (14; 48%), DT Cory Durden (11; 38%), P/H Mitch Wishnowsky (9; 31%), LS Julian Ashby (9; 31%), OT Caleb Lomu (7; 24%), OL Alijah Vera-Tucker (7; 24%), OL Ben Brown (7; 24%), DT Leonard Taylor III (7; 24%), ED Gabe Jacas (7; 24%), ED Elijah Ponder (7; 24%), OL Matt Pryor (7; 24%), OL Walter Rouse (7; 24%), CB/PR Marcus Jones (5; 17%), DT Milton Williams (5; 17%), DT DaQuan Jones (5; 17%), WR/KR Kyle Williams (3; 10%), TE Tanner Arkin (3; 10%), RB Rhamondre Stevenson (1; 3%), WR Romeo Doubs (1; 3%), TE Hunter Henry (1; 3%), LB Robert Spillane (1; 3%), LB Christian Elliss (1; 3%), S Kevin Byard III (1; 3%), DT Joshua Farmer (1; 3%)
Brenden Schooler made his return after starting the season on the non-football injury list, and he immediately resumes his role as a core special teamer: Schooler played on all four of the punt and kickoff teams, including as a gunner on the punt coverage team. Despite his return, however, Erick Hunter continued playing gunner as well.
Besides those two, the other core-four special teamers included Cameron Latu, Namdi Obiazor, Mike Brown and Elliott Davison. Meanwhile, K.J. Britt effectively replaces Reggie Gilliam in the kicking game after being elevated from the practice squad.
Did not play
QB Tommy DeVito
Even though the Patriots won by 28 points, Mike Vrabel decided against pulling Drake Maye from the contest. His season-long snap count therefore stays at 12, with all of them coming in a Week 3 loss in Jacksonville.
Inactive
QB3 Behren Morton, OT Dametrious Crownover, CB Christian Gonzalez, CB Carlton Davis III, CB Channing Canada, CB Karon Prunty
Besides the aforementioned four cornerbacks, including starters Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis, the Patriots’ list of inactives featured two healthy scratches. Neither Behren Morton nor Dametrious Crownover have roles beyond emergency status at this point in their respective careers.
