<
        >

          NFL Nation

          Patriots' offensive snaps: Tim Wright's high

          • Mike Reiss, ESPN Staff WriterNov 24, 2014, 05:00 AM ET
            Close
              Mike Reiss is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the New England Patriots. Reiss has covered the Patriots since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2009. In 2019, he was named Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. You can follow Reiss on Twitter at @MikeReiss.
            Follow on X

          FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- A look at snaps played by New England Patriots offensive skill-position players in Sunday's win over the Detroit Lions (including penalties):

          TIGHT END

          Rob Gronkowski -- 79 of 81

          Tim Wright -- 61 of 81

          Michael Hoomanawanui -- 15 of 81

          Quick-hit thoughts: Wright's 61 smashed his previous high of 21, which came twice (against Miami and Chicago). Wright was a bigger part of the plan as the Patriots trended to the pass out of their 2-WR/2-TE/1-RB grouping with Gronkowski and Wright as the tight ends. ... The only two snaps that Gronkowski didn't play came on the second drive of the third quarter, with the Patriots using a 3-WR/1-FB/1-RB grouping and a 3-WR/1-TE/1-RB grouping with Hoomanawanui. ... The 15 snaps for Hoomanawanui were one shy of a season low (14, at Kansas City) as he has averaged 32 snaps per game up to this point.

          WIDE RECEIVER

          Brandon LaFell -- 72 of 81

          Julian Edelman -- 67 of 81

          Danny Amendola -- 15 of 81

          Brian Tyms -- 6 of 81

          Quick-hit thoughts: The 15 snaps for Amendola were a season-low (previous low was 19, against Minnesota), as the Patriots mostly played out of their 2-WR/2-TE/1-RB grouping with LaFell and Edelman the top options at receiver. Amendola had been averaging 31 snaps per game up to this point. ... Five of Tyms' six snaps came in the third quarter after an incomplete deep pass down the middle of the field to LaFell, who retreated to the sideline for a breather.

          FULLBACK

          James Develin -- 9 of 81

          Quick-hit thoughts: Not a big fullback game, as Develin didn't play on offense in the first half and had eight of his nine snaps on the final drive.

          RUNNING BACK

          Shane Vereen -- 62 of 81

          LeGarrette Blount -- 17 of 81

          Brandon Bolden -- 2 of 81

          Jonas Gray -- 0 of 81

          Quick-hit thoughts: This was a passing-based game plan, so it made sense that "passing back" Vereen got the majority of the work. In the first half, Vereen had 31 of the 37 snaps. Then he played 30 of the first 33 running back snaps of the second half. ... Of Blount's 17 snaps, eight came on the final drive when the outcome was decided.

          QUARTERBACK

          Tom Brady -- 81 of 81

          Quick-hit thoughts: Had the Patriots stopped the Lions on their final drive, it looked like Jimmy Garoppolo was ready to enter the game.