Steelers 14, Browns 3
As expected the Steelers were without Lamarr Woodley, so Jason Worilds got the start and played every down. Defensive linemen Ziggy Hood (31% of snaps) got hurt during the game, which led to Cameron Heyward taking over and playing 49% of snaps. Steve McLendon (28%) also saw an increase in snaps thanks to the injury. Like early on in the season, Larry Foote (18%) took some snaps from James Farrior (84%).
The Browns didn’t see many changes from two weeks ago to this past week. Starting defensive end Jabaal Sheard (92%) went back to a more normal snap count for him, which left Brian Schafering (22%) going back to not playing often. Cleveland needed more nickel defense, so slot cornerback Dimitri Patterson (42%) saw an increase in snaps while linebacker Kaluka Maiava (58%) saw a decrease. Undrafted rookie Ben Jacobs made his debut with the defense and played three snaps.
Texans 20, Bengals 19
Last week, Quintin Demps and Danieal Manning split snaps at safety 50/50, but this week Manning played every down. At cornerback, typically Kareem Jackson (33%) gets more snaps than Jason Allen (54%), but it went the other way around for the first time while they have both been healthy. The Texans needed less dime defense, so DeMeco Ryan (72%) played more than he’s seen in a while. In turn, dime players Troy Nolan and Brice McCain both played 28% of the game.
Cornerback Nate Clements (53%) returned on a part time basis, with Kelly Jennings (84%) taking the rest of the snaps opposite Adam Jones (99%). For the first time Gibril Wilson wasn’t used in the defensive backfield. With Pat Sims still sidelined, recently acquired Nick Hayden made his season debut with Cincinnati, and played 23% of the game.
Broncos 13, Bears 10
The good news in Denver is Von Miller (92%) returned and played the majority of snaps, which returned Mario Haggan (8%) to a backup role. The bad news is in the secondary where Brian Dawkins (23%) and Andre’ Goodman (57%) both went down with injuries. In their place, Rahim Moore (77%) took over at safety. Chris Harris Jr. (72%) became the starting cornerback, while Jonathan Wilhite (23%) took over as the nickel cornerback. There were four players who saw limited time with the Broncos last week, but didn’t play at all in this one. That includes Derrick Harvy, David Bruton, Kyle McCarthy, and Nate Irving.
The Bears looked like they were getting close to having a pair of safeties they were happy with, but then Major Wright went down with an injury last week. Craig Steltz (92%) took the majority of snaps, while Brandon Meriweather (11%) also saw some time. After missing the last three weeks, D.J. Moore (70%) returned to his nickel cornerback role, while Corey Graham returned to the bench. The Bears also saw an increase of snaps for Zackary Bowman (21%) who saw a season high in snaps.
Cardinals 21, 49ers 19
The Cardinals had the same 18 players take snaps on defense for a third straight week. The biggest increases in snaps came from linebackers Sam Acho (85%) and Clark Haggans (74%), while O’Brien Schofield (35%) and Stewart Bradley (12%) saw decreases. Outside of that, there were no major changes.
The only big change in San Francisco is Patrick Willis is out. Larry Grant (93%) took over last week when he went down, and continued to take over in this game. Tramaine Brock, Demarcus Dobbs and Tavares Gooden also saw snaps last week but didn’t see the field on defense this week. On the other hand, Shawntae Spencer (7%) returned to the field after last playing on defense in Week 6.
Eagles 26, Dolphins 10
The Eagles decided to make a change in nickel linebacker, which led to Casey Matthews (75%) seeing significant time for the first time since Week 3. On the other hand Jamar Chaney had played every single down from Week 4 to Week 13, but in this game played just 31% of snaps. Akeem Jordan (31%) also saw a significant decrease. Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha (99%) was back to playing nearly every down, so Joselio Hanson (55%) returned to playing most nickel snaps. After missing three weeks, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (13%) also took some nickel snaps. At defensive end, the Eagles were withoug Juqua Parker so Phillip Hunt (40%) saw his first snaps with the defense since Week 6.
Linebacker Cameron Wake (68%) didn’t start the game, and saw less snaps than last week. This meant Koa Misi (51%) saw an increase back to playing over half the game. Cornerback Vontae Davis (59%) suffered an injury during the game, which led to Nolan Carroll (35%) seeing significant time for just the third time since the bye week. Defensive backs Chris Clemons (17%) and Jimmy Wilson (4%) also saw some time that they don’t typically see. Typically Marvin Mitchell takes some snaps from the two inside linebackers, but he didn’t in this matchup.
Jets 37, Chiefs 10
The bad news out of New York is Jim Leonhard (22%) went down with an injury and is out for the year again. This left Eric Smith (87%) and Brodney Pool (87%) as the starting safeties in the game, with Marquice Cole (23%) seeing snaps for the first time since Week 10. The Jets were without Kenrick Ellis on the defensive line. Undrafted rookies Tracy Wilson and Nick Bellore both saw three snaps each, which doubles Bellore’s season snaps, and was Wilson’s debut with the Jets defense.
The Chiefs added to the long list of defensive backs that left the game early, as Jon McGraw (28%) was another victim to the injury bug. His replacement was Reshard Langford (57%) who hadn’t seen significant time since Week 10. Typically Jovan Belcher (52%) just sees snaps with the base defense, but this time around Demorrio Williams (31%) took some snaps, and played the most snaps he’s seen this season. The Chiefs used a lot extra defensive back sets, so everyone involved in the base defense alone played more, while everyone who typically just plays in the nickel or dime defense played less.
Lions 34, Vikings 28
The Lions were without Nick Fairley, so Andre Flullen (48%) saw an increase of snaps while Jovan Haye (7%) played for the first time with the Lions. At cornerback Aaron Berry (25%) went down with an injury, so Don Carey (36%) took over the nickel snaps. Also joining the injury list was Justin Durant (20%). In his place Bobby Carpenter (60%) took over like he did earlier in the season.
The Vikings benched Cedric Griffin (13%) instead of Benny Sapp (100%) with Asher Allen’s (97%) return to the lineup. Marcus Sherels (69%) took over the nickel snaps. With the dime defense, E.J. Henderson (98%) took the snaps, which meant Erin Henderson (23%) barely saw the field. Defensive end Brian Robison (97%) was back to full strength, so basically everyone on the line outside of Robison, Jared Allen (100%) and Kevin Williams (98%) saw decreases in snaps.
Packers 46, Raiders 16
The Packers used B.J. Raji (51%) a lot less than usual, which was partially due to the blowout, but also partially due to wanting to rotate him out more. Ryan Pickett (33%) also saw a decrease, while backups C.J. Wilson (56%) and Jarius Wynn (45%) saw a lot more than usual. Thanks to the blowout, the Packers also gave Clay Matthews (69%) and Erik Walden (69%) a break in the fourth quarter. In their place, Frank Zombo (31%) saw time, as well as Jamari Lattimore (24%) and Brad Jones (7%).
The Raiders again needed a lot of dime defense, so Stanford Routt (99%), Michel Huff (77%), Matt Giordano (75%) and Jerome Boyd (23%) all saw increases in snaps. Cornerback Chris Johnson saw some time last week, but didn’t play in this game. This also meant less snaps by Aaron Curry (44%) as Rolando McClain (100%) took all of the nickel snaps this week, and there wasn’t much base defense until the end. On the defensive line, Richard Seymour (75%) saw an increase in snaps and Jarvis Moss (21%) played after not seeing time the last two weeks, while Desmond Bryant (49%), John Henderson (41%) and Trevor Scott (3%) all saw decreased
Falcons 31, Panthers 23
After last playing in Week 9, William Moore (64%) returned to the lineup, and shared time with James Sanders (40%). They used a lot more nickel defense this week compared to last, so Chris Owens (60%) saw an increase while linebacker Mike Peterson (40%) saw a decrease. The other three defensive backs and two linebackers played every down, while the defensive line stayed consistent with recent weeks.
The only significant change came at defensive tackle. With Terrell McClain and Sione Fua out, Andre Neblett (66%) and Frank Kearse (34%) started. Making their debuts with the defense were backup defensive tackles Jason Shirley (42%) and Ogemdi Nwagbuo (14%). Outside of that position, things stayed close to the same for the Panthers.
Ravens 24, Colts 10
Thanks to a turf toe suffered late in the game, Lardarius Webb (78%) played less than he usually does, while rookie Chykie Brown (20%) saw his first significant time of the season. Defensive end Terrell Suggs (73%) had a great game, and this was the first time this season he played less than 92% of snaps. Other starters played less than usual while other starters played more. Possibly the most interesting news is Sergio Kindle (22%) saw his first significant time in the pros, and that time could be increasing.
Middle linebacker Pat Angerer (100%) missed a lot of time last week, but was back to playing full time which left A.J. Edds on the bench. Cornerback Chris Rucker played every down for the first time in the pros while Jerraud Powers missed the game with an injury. Robert Mathis (77%), Kavell Conner (74%), David Caldwell (74%) and Philip Wheeler (66%) all saw more time than usual, mostly thanks to an increase in base defense. On the other hand, Joe Lefeged (26%), Ernie Sims (26%), and Jamaal Anderson (23%) all saw significant decreases. Cornerback Kevin Thomas (26%) missed last game, but saw some time in this one.
Patriots 34, Redskins 27
The Patriots defense is always changing, and that remained to be true in this game. Gary Guyton, Sterling Moore, Gerard Warren and Niko Koutouvides all saw significant time last week, but didn’t play a down this week. For the first time linebacker Rob Ninkovich played every down, while cornerback Devin McCourty played every down for the first time since Week 9. Defensive linemen Vince Wilfork played all but one down. He has not played every down yet this season, so this ties his high. Dane Fletcher (65%) returned after not playing since Week 6. The only player seeing a significant decrease yet still played was Matt Slater who only played 39% of the game.
It’s been awhile since the Redskins had a lot of people play every down, but this week broke that trend. Linebackers Ryan Kerrigan, London Fletcher and Perry Riley, as well as defensive backs DeAngelo Hall, Josh Wilson and Reed Doughty all played every down. The Redskins needed a lot of nickel defense against the Patriots, so Kevin Barnes (88%) played the majority of the game. This meant all of the defensive linemen saw decreases in snaps, while backups Chris Neild and Kentwan Balmer weren’t used. At safety DeJon Gomes (78%) played most of the game, while O.J. Atogwe (22%) played a lot less.
Saints 22, Titans 17
The Saints continue to change which linebackers are used. Jonathan Vilma played every down, while JoLonn Dunbar (76%), Ramon Humber (50%), Will Herring (48%), and Martez Wilson (19%) all saw significant playing time. On the other hand Scott Shanle had just one snap, while Jonathan Casilals didn’t play. On the defensive line Sedrick Ellis didn’t play, while led to increases in snaps by Tom Johnson (53%), Shaun Rogers (40%) and Aubrayo Franklin (34%).
During the game outside linebacker Akeem Ayers (63%) suffered an injury, so Will Witherspoon (57%) played not only in the base defense, but in the nickel defense later on, while Tim Shaw (23%) took over in the base defense for his first significant time. Jason McCourty missed the game, so Alterraun Verner played every down for the first time, while Chris Hawkins (56%) was the nickel cornerback. The only other significant change in time was Jason Jones (87%) saw the field more often than in any other game this season.
Seahawks 30, Rams 13
The Seahawks had a few people with minor increases in snaps, while Alan Branch (57%) was the only player with a significant decrease down from 75%. Really there isn’t much to say thanks to their consistency, so we’ll move on.
The Rams missed Darian Stewart (97%) last week, but he returned to the lineup while Craig Dahl (8%) was barely used. This week they were without Fred Robbins for the first time, while C.J. Ah You (51%) returned after missing last week to take Robbins snaps. At right defensive end, Robert Quinn (76%) had the most snaps he has seen this season, while James Hall (38%) had by far his fewest. At cornerback, they rotated Justin King (92%) and Josh Gordy (72%) out a little bit which gave Roderick Hood (60%) more time.
Giants 37, Cowboys 34
For the first time this season, the Giants were without Kenny Phillips at safety. The only noticeable change in terms of snap counts is Deon Grant played every down for the first time since Week 9. Defensive end Justin Tuck (48%) suffered an injury, which led to an increase in snaps by Dave Tollefson (52%). Chase Blackburn (56%), Jacquian Williams (65%), Chris Canty (84%) and Mathias Kiwanuka (86%) all saw slight increases in snaps as well due to Tuck’s injury and less multiple defensive back sets compared to the last two weeks.
While the Cowboys have lost a few players at times to injury, they typically have come back on defense. The only three players to have taken a snap for the defense this season to not play in this game were Josh Price-Brent, Bryan McCann and Clifton Geathers. The Cowboys continue to change how often they use their cornerbacks. In this game Terence Newman (88%), Orlando Scandrick (78%), Mike Jenkins (41%), Frank Walker (41%) and Alan Ball (41%) all saw significant time. DeMarcus Ware only played 73% of this game, which is the lowest percentage he has seen this season.
Jaguars 41, Bucs 14
The injuries have been piling up for the Jaguars and haven’t really stopped. Dwight Lowery and John Chick missed this game. This led to Chris Prosinski (81%) getting the start, and Akwasi Owusu-Ansah (25%) made his season debut with the defense. Because Chick didn’t play, Legar Douzable (76%) saw an increase in snaps. Defensive tackle Corvey Irvin (6%) and Stephen Franklin (2%) made their debuts with the defense.
The biggest news for the Buccaneers is Michael Bennett (50%) returned after missing the last two weeks. This meant Da’Quan Bowers (73%) wasn’t needed for every down like last week. In some passing situations both ends were on the field as well as Adrian Clayborn (94%), which led to a decrease in snaps by defensive tackle John McCargo (22%). Cornerback Aqib Talib was hurt last week and missed the game, so E.J. Biggers (91%) started, while Elbert Mack (41%) took the nickel snaps.
Chargers 37, Bills 10
After missing last week, Na’il Diggs (62%) was back to action with the nickel defense. They used a lot of it in this game as Dante Hughes (78%) played for the highest percentage of snaps he has seen this season. This meant Donald Butler (20%) was barely needed at inside linebacker. On the defensive line, Jacques Cesaire (7%) was barely used, which allowed other defensive linemen to see their snaps stay relatively the same despite the nickel defense.
With so many injuries on defense, it’s about time the Bills had someone come back. George Wilson (99%) returned to the starting lineup at safety, so Da’Norris Searcy who had played every snap the last three weeks didn’t play a down. With Aaron Williams out, Leodis McKelvin (91%) played the majority of the game, while Bryan Scott (75%) saw a large increase in snaps. Defensive end Kyle Moore (15%) saw his season debut with the Bills defense.
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