Even though he has started five games this season and is tied for third on the team with two touchdown receptions, Mack Hollins has been a relatively quiet member of the New England Patriots’ wide receiver group thus far. Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte are the most productive pass catchers on the team through seven weeks, with DeMario Douglas a frequent subject of debate due to his relatively small workload given his status as a former starter.
Hollins, meanwhile, is quietly putting together a quality
campaign himself. While it so far has only led to him catching 11 passes for 119 yards and those two scores, he is ranked second on the team in wide receiver snaps on the year and regularly contributing in a positive fashion.
Sunday’s win over the Tennessee Titans was a prime example.
Besides playing 43 of a possible 65 snaps on offense (66%) as the team’s nominal No. 2 wideout, he found himself on the receiving end of two Drake Maye passes to gain a combined 49 yards. Both his yardage total and his snap volume marked a season-high for the offseason pickup. His impact went even further, though, as a deeper dive inside his playing time shows.
Of his 43 snaps, after all, 10 saw him align in-line as a tight end-type operator. His presence on the field on those 10 snaps, as well as his general ability and willingness as a blocker, played a part in the Patriots producing their best rushing output of the season: not counting two kneel-downs to end the game, the team gained 177 yards on the ground versus Tennessee.
Hollins was partially responsible for that number. Not only was he on the field for 21 total run block snaps (another season high), he also had a 4-yard carry in the fourth quarter.
Here is our full snap count report from the Patriots’ 31-13 victory at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
Offense
Total snaps: 65 | Time on the field: 36:24 | *denotes starter
C Garrett Bradbury* (65; 100%), LG/RG Jared Wilson* (63; 97%), RG Mike Onwenu* (61; 94%), LT Will Campbell* (59; 91%), RT Morgan Moses* (59; 91%), QB Drake Maye* (55; 85%), RB Rhamondre Stevenson* (49; 75%), WR Kayshon Boutte* (46; 71%), TE Hunter Henry* (44; 68%), WR Mack Hollins* (43; 66%), WR Stefon Diggs* (35; 54%), TE Austin Hooper (33; 51%), FB/TE Jack Westover (20; 31%), WR DeMario Douglas (15; 23%), WR Kyle Williams (12; 18%), QB Joshua Dobbs (10; 15%), WR Efton Chism III (10; 15%), RB TreVeyon Henderson (9; 14%), RB Terrell Jennings (9; 14%), LT Vederian Lowe (6; 9%), RT Marcus Bryant (6; 9%), LG/RG Ben Brown (6; 9%)
With Mack Hollins playing a starter-level role once again, the Patriots used their wideouts in the typical fashion. He, Kayshon Boutte and Stefon Diggs are the clear top three at the position, with DeMario Douglas a fourth option primarily used on passing downs. However, both rookies — Kyle Williams and Efton Chism — also saw double-digit snaps; for Chism, his 10 snaps at his listed position were a career high after he played only two in his season debut last week.
While he did see some offensive action earlier in the game, Chism’s overall workload was a direct result of the Patriots pulling away from the Titans in the second half. Down the stretch, they opted to give their backups a go. That group included the UDFA pass catcher as well as practice squad elevation Terrell Jennings and backup offensive linemen Vederian Lowe, Marcus Bryant and Ben Brown.
Also part of that group was Joshua Dobbs, even though New England’s QB2 was already called upon earlier in the game: with Drake Maye getting pulled from the contest in the third quarter to undergo a concussion evaluation on the sidelines, Dobbs played his first three truly competitive snaps of the year. He completed a 12-yard pass on 3rd-and-5 to keep an eventual scoring drive alive before the starter reentered the game.
Not quite as active as some of his teammates was rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson. Both his snap total (9) and his playing time share (14%) marked a season-low for the second-round draft choice. On Monday, head coach Mike Vrabel gave insight into Henderson’s usage so far.
Defense
Total snaps: 53 | Time on the field: 21:57 | *denotes starter
LB Robert Spillane* (53; 100%), CB Christian Gonzalez* (53; 100%), CB Carlton Davis III* (53; 100%), S Craig Woodson* (53; 100%), S Kyle Dugger* (53; 100%), CB Marcus Jones (44; 83%), DT Milton Williams* (37; 70%), ED Harold Landry III* (37; 70%), DT Christian Barmore* (35; 66%), ED K’Lavon Chaisson (30; 57%), LB Marte Mapu (20; 38%), DT Khyiris Tonga* (18; 34%), DT Joshua Farmer (18; 34%), ED Keion White (16; 30%), LB Christian Elliss (16; 30%), ED Elijah Ponder (13; 25%), LB/ED Jahlani Tavai* (12; 23%), LB Jack Gibbens* (11; 21%), DT Cory Durden (11; 21%)
Like they did on offense, the Patriots also opted to rotate their defensive personnel a bit late in the game. However, that process was not quite as extensive as it was on the other side of the ball.
The main beneficiaries of it appeared to be linebacker Marte Mapu and defensive tackle Joshua Farmer, who both set new season highs in both snaps and playing time share. Mapu additionally ended the game leading all Patriots defenders in tackles with eight, even though a majority of them (7.5) came in the fourth quarter.
Elsewhere on defense, the Patriots opted for stability. Five players — Robert Spillane, Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis, Craig Woodson and Kyle Dugger — went wire-to-wire, with Dugger playing 100% of snaps for a second straight week as an injury replacement for Jaylinn Hawkins. With the nominal starter nearing a return from his hamstring injury, it will be fascinating to see how Dugger’s role will evolve in the coming weeks.
Interestingly enough, with four defensive backs getting a full workload and Marcus Jones also playing 83% of snap, the Patriots decided to virtually do no rotating in the backend. None of the backups active for the game saw any defensive action — a rarity, particularly in a game decided by three scores.
Special teams
Total snaps: 25 | Time on the field: 1:39
LB Jack Gibbens (20; 80%), S Brenden Schooler (20; 80%), S Dell Pettus (20; 80%), LB Jahlani Tavai (19; 76%), ED Elijah Ponder (16; 64%), LB Christian Elliss (14; 56%), LB/PP Marte Mapu (14; 56%), CB Alex Austin (12; 48%), S Kyle Dugger (12; 48%), K Andy Borregales (11; 44%), FB Jack Westover (10; 40%), DT Khyiris Tonga (9; 36%), ED Keion White (9; 36%), P/H Bryce Baringer (9; 36%), LS Julian Ashby (9; 36%), RB/KR Terrell Jennings (8; 32%), WR/KR Efton Chism III (8; 32%), ED K’Lavon Chaisson (8; 32%), TE Austin Hooper (5; 20%), OT Vederian Lowe (5; 20%), OT Marcus Bryant (5; 20%), OL Jared Wilson (5; 20%), OL Mike Onwenu (5; 20%), OL Ben Brown (5; 20%), WR Mack Hollins (4; 16%), DT Cory Durden (4; 16%), LB Robert Spillane (3; 12%), CB/PR Marcus Jones (3; 12%), CB Miles Battle (3; 12%)
New England’s special teams operation looked a lot like it did the previous week against New Orleans, with Efton Chism keeping his spot as kickoff returner. Speaking of established roles, Brenden Schooler, Jack Gibbens and Jahlani Tavai continued to serve as “core four” players for the Patriots appearing on kickoff return, kickoff coverage, punt return and punt coverage. Joining them were Dell Pettus and Elijah Ponder, who both upgraded from three to four units on Sunday.
Did not play
N/A
For the second time this season, the Patriots used the full extent of their available talent. The blowout nature of their victory played a part in this, as did Drake Maye’s concussion check in the third quarter.
Inactive
QB3 Tommy DeVito, S Jaylinn Hawkins, CB Charles Woods, ED Anfernee Jennings, DT Eric Gregory, OL Caedan Wallace
The Patriots entered the weekend with two players ruled out due to injury: safety Jaylinn Hawkins missed a second straight game with a hamstring issue, with cornerback Charles Woods joining him on the sidelines due to a knee ailment. Made inactive alongside the two were, on paper, four healthy scratches.
While Tommy DeVito, Eric Gregory and Caedan Wallace are all merely emergency options at this point in the season, Anfernee Jennings was deactivated despite shedding an injury label earlier in the week. His prior injury — he missed the previous game due to his ankle — might have played into the decision to hold him out of Week 7 despite upgrading to full practice participation.
