Jaguars vs. Raiders: Snap Count Analysis

What do the snap counts from the Jaguars' win on Sunday mean?

While watching a game live can give you one impression of a player's usage, looking at the actual amount of snaps they played compared to their teammates can also give insight into the team's strategy and outlook.

When looking at the snap counts for the Jacksonville Jaguars after their 20-16 victory over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, it is clear to see what kind of plan the Jaguars went into the game with, and what limitations they had from a personnel standpoint.

Who played a lot, and why? Did the snaps mean anything or nothing? We examine below:

Offense (57 snaps):

OG Andrew Norwell: 57

C Brandon Linder: 57

OT Jawaan Taylor: 57

QB Gardner Minshew: 57

RB Leonard Fournette: 55

OT Cam Robinson: 54

WR Dede Westbrook: 53

OG A.J. Cann: 50

WR Chris Conley: 50

WR Keelan Cole: 43

TE Seth DeValve: 29

TE Nick O'Leary: 21

TE Ben Koyack: 20

WR C.J. Board: 11

OG Will Richardson: 7

OT Cedric Ogbuehi: 4

RB Ryquell Armstead: 2

• Leonard Fournette was once again the bell cow running back of the Jaguars' offense, playing all but two snaps. While Leonard didn't put up any special numbers (73 yards on 20 touches), he made an impact in ways that didn't show up in terms of stats, once again indicating why he plays as much as he does. He made several key blitz pickups, continuing his strong season as a pass protector, and had two key receptions on the final drive of the game. Jacksonville has made its No. 2 running back spot irrelevant this season, but when Fournette is contributing in a variety of ways like he did on Sunday, it is easy to see why.
• With DJ Chark out with an ankle injury, Keelan Cole had his second-highest snap count of the season, serving as Jacksonville's No. 3 wide receiver. He turned in a three catch, 76-yard performance and caught a 55-yard pass on the first drive of the game, once again making the most of his sometimes limited opportunities in 2019.
• The right guard competition is over, for a lack of a better word. A week after Will Richardson played only 12 snaps, his snaps fell to just seven as A.J. Cann took the vast majority of the reps at guard. Cann has actually had one of the better seasons of his five-year career, so the decision to have him be the primary player at the spot isn't a bad one by any means. 

Defense (75 snaps): 

FS Jarrod Wilson: 75

LB Donald Payne: 75

CB Tre Herndon: 75

CB A.J. Bouye: 75

DL Calais Campbell: 64

DE Yannick Ngakoue: 64

LB Austin Calitro: 56

DT Taven Bryan: 52

DT Abry Jones: 46

LB Leon Jacobs: 39

CB D.J. Hayden: 36

DE Josh Allen: 29

DL Dawuane Smoot: 23

DT Akeem Spence: 21

FS Marcus Gilchrist: 20

• Rookie defensive end Josh Allen was taken out of the game before the first half ended due to a shoulder injury but later returned in the fourth quarter. Even with his low snap count due to the injury, he still turned in a sack and nearly combined for another with Yannick Ngakoue.
• Speaking of Ngakoue, the fourth-year defensive end had the best game of his 2019 campaign while playing the vast majority of defensive snaps. He rarely left the field but his motor stayed hot and he continued to make plays. He turned his 64 snaps into two sacks, four tackles for loss, two quarterback hits and a pass deflection. 
• After undrafted rookie free agent safety Andrew Wingard started the last two games, he had a special teams-only role in Week 15 due to the return of Ronnie Harrison to the lineup. Wingard seems to have lost his place as the third safety as well however, as Marcus Gilchrist played 20 snaps in a reserve role at safety.