Falcons snap counts and notes for Week 4

This is a happy week, but that doesn't mean we're going to skip over the snap counts. Let's see what nuggets of knowledge we can glean (if nuggets can be gleaned, of course) from this week's playing time.

Offense

Chris Chester: 71 (100%)
Ryan Schraeder: 71
Mike Person: 71
Jake Matthews: 58
Matt Ryan: 58
Andy Levitre: 58
Levine Toilolo: 52
Roddy White: 48
Leonard Hankerson: 48
Devonta Freeman: 41
Julio Jones: 39
Patrick DiMarco: 36
Terron Ward: 30
Nick Williams: 29
Mickey Shuler: 19
Bryce Harris: 14
James Stone: 13
Sean Renfree: 13
Eric Weems: 12

These counts are skewed by what the Falcons elected to do late in the game with a massive lead. Sean Renfree got in for the first time, and the Falcons elected to rest Levitre and Matthews in order to get James Stone and Bryce Harris in the game. Neither embarrassed themselves, even if the drop-off was noticeable.

It's very clear that Nick Williams has surpassed Eric Weems on the receiver depth chart, and once Justin Hardy is ready and Devin Hester returns, it'll be interesting to see what happens to both players. Weems' special teams value should keep him around, but Williams is good for one clutch catch a game and appears to have earned Kyle Shanahan's trust. It's possible the Falcons will just elect to keep Justin Hardy inactive throughout most of the season, if this continues apace.

Julio simply wasn't needed that much, and the Falcons were able to give him a relative breather by only sending him out there for 39 snaps. He should have a dominant week against the Redskins this coming Sunday.

Roddy, meanwhile, is simply not a major part of the passing game. I still firmly believe he'll have big weeks, but his primary role is to block and take heat off other receivers while he waits for Ryan to A) look his way and B) fall out of love with Leonard Hankerson. He's still valuable, but at this point it doesn't look like he'll be pulling down 70-plus receptions this year.

Defense

Robsenon Therezie: 77 (100%)
Joplo Bartu: 70
Kroy Biermann: 55
Jalen Collins: 48
Paul Worrilow: 45
Phillip Adams: 44
Robert Alford: 41
William Moore: 41
Desmond Trufant: 40
Malliciah Goodman: 38
Kemal Ishmael: 37
Paul Soliai: 35
Ra'Shede Hageman: 34
Grady Jarrett: 33
Allen Bradford: 32
Nate Stupar: 26
Tyson Jackson: 25
Jonathan Babineaux: 25
Vic Beasley: 24
Adrian Clayborn: 20
O'Brien Schofield: 18
Dezmen Southward: 17
Brooks Reed: 15
Justin Durant: 7

I don't think Therezie was great, but for a UDFA rookie starting his first game four weeks into the season, his performance was noteworthy. He's got decent coverage chops already and had some nice moments in run support, even if he got taken out of several plays. You can understand why the coaching staff kept him around, and he may be a big part of the team's future plans at the safety position.

With Justin Durant leaving the game and the backups installed in the second half anyways, Joplo Bartu got a ton of run, and like Therezie he had a fine game with some hiccups along the way. I've wondered aloud several times whether Bartu will stick on the roster all season, but he handled his 70 snaps with aplomb, and so I'll pipe down on that front for the moment.

As is the case with the offense, the snap counts here are skewed by the score. The Falcons were able to ease Reed back in, where he showcased his ability as a run-stopper on limited snaps, and get plenty of playing time for Jalen Collins, Ra'Shede Hageman, Grady Jarrett, and others who needed the run. Jarrett and Hageman look really good, Collins looked decent enough, and the backup defense unsurprisingly let the Texans score enough to make the final score look a little more respectable. These players need this run if they're going to contribute later in the year in case of injury or ineffectiveness from any starters, though, so this was very welcome.

Special Teams

Kroy Biermann: 27
Nate Stupar: 25
Kemal Ishmael: 25
Eric Weems: 21
Matt Bosher: 19
Allen Bradford: 18
Patrick DiMarco: 14
Dezmen Southward: 14
Robert Alford: 12
Josh Harris: 12
Phillip Adams: 11
Levine Toilolo: 9
O'Brien Schofield: 9
Robenson Therezie: 8
Desmond Trufant: 8
Nick Williams: 7
Mickey Shuler: 7
James Stone: 7
Chris Chester: 6
Mike Person: 6
Matt Bryant: 6
Ryan Schraeder: 6
Jake Matthews: 6
Paul Soliai: 6
Joplo Bartu: 5
Ra'Shede Hageman: 4
Vic Beasley: 4
Adrian Clayborn: 4
Roddy White: 3
Grady Jarrett: 1

I think the Biermann hate is finally starting to die down, and with good reason. After a shaky start to the season, Biermann has played solid defense and has been a core special teamer, just like the days of yore. Otherwise, this list features familiar names like Nate Stupar, Kemal Ishmael and Eric Weems.

One interesting note: The Falcons really aren't using Andy Levitre on special teams, making him the lone starter on the offensive line not to get any run there. James Stone replaced him this time around.