In the Arizona Cardinals' 36-30 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, 20 players participated in at least one of the 54 defensive snaps, and 32 players participated in at least one of the 32 special teams snaps.
How was that playing time divided? The snap counts for everyone on defense and special teams are below.
The first number after each name is the snap count, and the second is the percentage. Players in bold were starters.
Defensive linemen
- NT Roy Lopez (34/63), Walter Nolen III (34/63), Dante Stills (30/56), L.J. Collier (20/37), Darius Robinson (17/31)
- Inactive: NT Andrew Billings
- Injured reserve: Zach Carter (eligible for return after Week 4), Kaleb Proctor
Lopez played despite a groin injury that had him miss two practices during the week. He had no stats in the game, but that is often the case for nose tackles. Nolen had only one assisted tackle and a quarterback hit and so far hasn’t been the game-changer he was last season in the limited number of games he played. Robinson
and Stills also had only one assisted tackle.
Linebackers
- ILB Mack Wilson Sr. (52/96), ILB Jack Gibbens (50/93), OLB Josh OLB Baron Browning (27/50), Sweat (24/44), OLB Jordan Burch (24/44), OLB Zaven Collins (23/43), OLB Eku Leota (11/20), ILB Cody Simon (2/4)
- Did not play: ILB Karson Sharar (played only on special teams)
Gibbens continues his consistent play and had eight tackles (four solo/one for loss) and a QB hit. Wilson was right behind him with six tackles (two solo). Browning had two tackles (one solo/one for loss) and a QB hit. Collins had two solo tackles and two passes defensed. Leota had two assisted tackles. Sweat didn’t appear on the stat sheet and had a crucial fourth-quarter roughing-the-passer penaty that handed the 49ers a first down in the red zone that led to a touchdown and 29-20 lead.
Defensive backs
- S Budda Baker (54/100), S Andrew Wingard (54/100), CB Denzel Burke (53/98), CB Max Melton (53/98), CB Garrett Williams (19/35), S Wydett Williams Jr. (12/22), CB Kei’Trel Clark (1/2)
- Did not play: CBs Kalen King, Starling Thomas V (both played only on special teams)
- Inactive: S Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (injured)
- Injured reserve: S Joey Blount, S Kitan Crawford (eligible to return after Week 5), CB Will Johnson (eligible to return after Week 6, but will likely miss the remainder of the season)
Wingard was the team leader with 10 tackles (one solo). Baker had four tackles (one solo). Melton had four tackles (three solo) and a pass defensed. Burke had two solo tackles and two passes defensed. Wydett Williams Jr. had two tackles (one solo), while Garrett Williams had one assisted tackle in his first game of the season.
Special teams
- LB Karson Sharar (26/81), LB Cody Simon (26/81), LB Jordan Burch (21/66), OLB Eku Leota (21/66), WR Simi Fehoko (20/62), WR/RS Jalen Brooks (17/53), TE Elijah Higgins (17/53), TE Hunter Long (16/50), CB Kei’Trel Clark (16/50), CB Kalen King (16/50), S Wydett Williams Jr. (16/50), K Chad Ryland (13/41), P/Holder Blake Gillikin (10/31), LS Casey Kreiter (10/31), LB Zaven Collins (10/31), WR/RS Devin Duvernay (9/28), RB Bam Knight (8/25), CB Max Melton (7/22), C/G Hayden Conner (6/19), G Jon Gaines II (6/19), T Paris Johnson Jr. (6/19), G Isaac Seumalo (6/19), T Elijah Wilkinson (6/19), T Jayden Williams (6/19), DL L.J. Collier (6/19), DL Darius Robinson (6/19), DL Dante Stills (6/19), S Andrew Wingard (4/12), LB Jack Gibbens (3/9), LB Baron Browning (3/9), CB Starling Thomas V (3/9)
Ryland made three field-goal attempts, including a 49-yarder late in the fourth quarter that provide the team’s final points. Gillikin punted four times for a 50.3-yard average and 43.5 net. He had two inside the 20 and one touchback that would have improved his net had Fehoko not misjudged the ball, which allowed it to bounce into the end zone.
The coverage teams held kickoff returner Deebo Samuel to a 19.8-yard average on four returns and only one punt returned for seven yards.
Cardinals kickoff returners Brooks averaged 25.6 yards on five returns and Duvernay had one for 29 yards and two punt returns for 20.
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This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Arizona Cardinals defensive, special teams snap counts, observations
