Before each game, the New England Patriots -- like every NFL team -- set seven players as inactive. And the surprise inactive this week was wide receiver Aaron Dobson.

With the Patriots' receiving corps struggling to gain any rhythm with quarterback Tom Brady outside of wide receiver Julian Edelman, Dobson was thought to be a player Brady could rely on, specifically as a deep threat.

Last week against Minnesota, wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins was inactive and this week it was Dobson. Coach Bill Belichick explained the factors involved with making the decision to sit a player like Dobson.

“We just try to take everything into consideration when we go with our final 46-man active roster,” Belichick said during a conference call on Monday. “The game plan, the matchups, the different roles in the kicking game and sometimes how that affects other positions.”

Thompkins ended up playing 38 of 73 offensive snaps and might have presented a better matchup in Belichick’s eyes against Oakland. Meanwhile, wide receiver Brandon LaFell played 41 of 73 snaps on offense. LaFell also plays on special teams units, which heightens his value over a player like Dobson, who only contributes on offense.

Dobson's recovery from offseason foot surgery could be holding him back, though he did play 31 of 67 offensive snaps in the Patriots’ win against Minnesota in Week 2.

Dobson, a second-round draft pick (59th overall) out of Marshall, is in his second season and recorded 37 catches for 519 yards and four touchdowns in his rookie season. As a second-round pick, Dobson is seen as having high upside with his long frame at 6-foot-3 and the ability to be a vertical receiver for Brady -- something Brady and the offense lack right now.

Belichick said he would like to have everyone on the 53-man roster active on game day, but lines have to be drawn somewhere -- even on players like Dobson.

“So, in the end if we can more than 46 players active, then we would have had several of the guys that were deactivated in the game,” Belichick said. “And there is a good chance that several of them would have played, but we just have the combination of all the things I just mentioned and try to make a decision that we feel was best for the team relative to the 46 guys that are there. And again, that is a function of multiple things.”