In the Arizona Cardinals' 30-16 loss to the Denver Broncos, 21 players participated in at least one of the 61 defensive snaps, and 31 players participated in at least one of the 31 special teams snaps.
How was the playing time split up? We have the numbers below.
The first number after each name is their snap count, and the second is the percentage. Players in bold were starters.
Defensive linemen
- Dante Stills (43/70), L.J. Collier (36/59), NT Roy Lopez (26/43), Darius Robinson (24/39), NT Andrew Billings (10/16), Jared Harrison-Hunte (10/16; elevated from practice squad)
- Inactive: DL Walter Nolen III (injured)
- Injured reserve: Zach Carter (eligible for return), Kaleb Proctor
Robinson continues to improve weekly, and it was needed with Nolen sidelined. Robinson had a sack, four tackles (one solo for loss) and a quarterback hit. The TFL was the only one by the Cardinals in the game. Collier had a solo tackle and pass defensed, but not much else from the line save for an assistant tackle by both Lopez and Harrison-Hunte.
Linebackers
- ILB Mack Wilson Sr. (61/100), ILB Jack Gibbens (41/67), OLB Josh Sweat (35/57), OLB Baron Browning (31/51), OLB Jordan Burch (31/51), OLB Zaven Collins (29/48), ILB Cody Simon (14/23), OLB Eku Leota (3/5)
- Did not play: ILB Karson Sharar (played only on special teams)
Gibbens led the team with
seven tackles (four solo). Wilson had three tackles (one solo). Simon and Sweat had two solo tackles) and Browning and Collins one solo.
Defensive backs
- CB Denzel Burke (60/98), CB Kei’Trel Clark (60/98), S Budda Baker (59/97), CB Garrett Williams (34/56), S Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (32/52), CB Kalen King (26/43), S Kitan Crawford (6/10)
- Did not play: CB Star Thomas V (played only on special teams)
- Inactive: CB Max Melton (injured), S Andrew Wingard (injured),
- Injured reserve: S Joey Blount, CB Will Johnson (eligible to return after Week 6, but will likely miss the remainder of the season)
With Melton out, Clark missed only one snap and had six tackles (two solo) and a pass defensed. Burke and King had four solo tackles, with Burke adding two passes defensed. Taylor-Demerson had two solo tackles, while Baker had one of his quietest games in a while with only two tackles (one solo). Crawford also had two tackles (one solo).
Special teams
- LB Karson Sharar (27/87), LB Cody Simon (26/84), LB Jordan Burch (22/71), LB Eku Leota (20/65), S Kitan Crawford (20/65), WR Simi Fehoko (19/61), TE Elijah Higgins (17/55), TE Teagan Quitoriano (16/52), CB Kei’Trel Clark (15/48), CB Kalen King (15/48), S Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (15/48), WR/RS Devin Duvernay (11/35), LB Zaven Collins (11/35), K Chad Ryland (9/29), P/Holder Blake Gillikin (9/29), LS Casey Kreiter (9/29), WR/RS Jalen Brooks (8/26), RB Evan Hull (8/26), DL Dante Stills (8/26), NT Roy Lopez (8/26), DL L.J. Collier (6/19), LB Jack Gibbens (6/19), C/G Hayden Conner (4/13), G Isaac Seumalo (4/13), T Elijah Wilkinson (4/13), T Jayden Williams (4/13), T Jedrick Wills Jr. (4/13), T Josh Fryar (4/13), C Kingsley Eguakun (4/13), LB Baron Browning (4/13), CB Star Thomas V (4/13)
Ryland had another perfect day with three field goals of 26, 30 and 41 yards.
Gillikin is simply not the same punter that was placed on injured reserve after five games last season. He had a punt partially blocked by Broncos fullback Adam Prentice, who came untouched through the middle of the protection. That resulted in a 7-yard punt. While that one can’t be pinned on Gillikin, his other four were 42, 40, 46 and 45 yards for a 43.3-yard average and 41.3 net. Including the block, his average was 36.0 with a 34.4 net.
The coverage unit allowed a 39-yard return on the opening kickoff of the game and the punt-return group had two penalties on one punt (neutral zone violation by linebacker Karson Sharar and a blindside block by King) that resulted in field position beginning at the 6-yard line.
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This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Arizona Cardinals defensive, special teams snap counts in Week 7
