Falcons snap counts for the win against the Panthers

This week’s snap counts don’t reveal any deep, earth-shaking insights into how the Falcons performed or their future plans for players, but there are still some key takeaways to share. Let’s get to it.

Offense

Jake Matthews: 63

Alex Mack: 63

Brandon Fusco: 63

Ryan Schraeder: 63

Matt Ryan: 62

Austin Hooper: 53

Wes Schweitzer: 51

Mohamed Sanu: 48

Julio Jones: 48

Tevin Coleman: 41

Calvin Ridley: 35

Logan Paulsen: 29

Ito Smith: 18

Justin Hardy: 14

Ricky Ortiz: 12

Andy Levitre: 12

Marvin Hall: 9

Eric Saubert: 8

Matt Schaub: 1

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The big note here is that Wes Schweitzer essentially played all but a dozen snaps at left guard and did a great job of it. Throughout his young career, we’ve heard analysts say that he should be a right guard, and that may very well be where he settles. If Levitre has to miss time and he keeps playing like this in relief, though, it may be that he’ll be pushing for Levitre’s likely-vacated job a year from now. Baby steps, though.

As expected, Tevin Coleman dominated snaps, playing about two-thirds of them against roughly a third for Ito Smith. Brian Hill didn’t get a snap on offense, and if Smith looks this good on a weekly basis, that isn’t going to change.

Also noteworthy was that Logan Paulsen got so many snaps, especially compared to Eric Saubert. The Falcons wanted to run and Paulsen’s a capable blocker, so that addition made a ton of sense. I think the results speak for themselves.

Marvin Hall showed his value to this offense on his very limited snaps, pulling down a nice 30 yard reception. Hall’s never going to be a major factor on offense, but his deep speed and solid hands make him a situationally useful player, and the Falcons will find ways to use him.

Matt Schaub should not get another snap for the rest of the year, please and thank you.

Defense

Robert Alford: 67

Desmond Trufant: 67

Ricardo Allen: 67

De’Vondre Campbell: 67

Brian Poole: 59

Duke Riley: 58

Grady Jarrett: 55

Jordan Richards: 53

Vic Beasley: 53

Terrell McClain: 37

Takkarist McKinley: 36

Brooks Reed: 32

Deadrin Senat: 25

Jack Crawford: 23

Foye Oluokun: 15

Damontae Kazee: 14

Derrick Shelby: 6

Blidi Wreh-Wilson: 2

Keith Tandy: 1

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It sounds like Damontae Kazee might not be suspended, in which case Jordan Richards’ snap count a week from now ought to be a lot lower. The Falcons had to like some of what they saw from him in run support, but he was an expected liability in coverage, and both Kazee and Keith Tandy (who saw just one snap) are probably better bets in that regard. The Falcons seem hellbent on finding a role for Richards, but I really don’t want to have this team relying on him to cover quality tight ends and make open field tackles until he’s more comfortable.

It’s noteworthy that Takkarist McKinley played so little compared to Vic Beasley despite showing better results in his snaps. That would seem to lend credence to the idea that he’s either hurt, was having a conditioning issue, or somehow ran afoul of the coaching staff the way Duke Riley did before that final Panthers drive. Whatever the reason, I hope to see more snaps for Takk on a weekly basis, as he’s one of the team’s true impact defenders up front.

You’ll likely see Foye Oluokun’s snap count go up this week. He filled in for Duke Riley on the game’s final drive, an ominous sign for the second-year linebacker, and is a player the Falcons seem keen to find a role for.

Otherwise, few surprises here. The Falcons are going to continue to lean heavily on their secondary and the always underrated De’Vondre Campbell as they weather the loss of Keanu Neal and Deion Jones. If they’re down Derrick Shelby, as well, you can expect Steven Means to be active next weekend.

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Special Teams

Justin Bethel: 22

Kemal Ishmael: 19

Eric Saubert: 18

Marvin Hall: 18

Keith Tandy: 18

Corey Nelson: 18

Foye Oluokun: 18

Jordan Richards: 15

Matt Bosher: 15

Blidi Wreh-Wilson: 14

Robert Alford: 10

Logan Paulsen: 10

Justin Hardy: 9

Josh Harris: 9

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The Falcons wasted no time at all throwing Keith Tandy and Corey Nelson into the special teams fire. While the results were a little uneven against the Panthers, the Falcons have a strong core group to lean on, and somehow Robert Alford out-snaps every other player every week between defense and special teams. That dude is tough.

It’s worth noting that the Falcons barely gave any special teams work to Duke Riley this week as he acclimated to a starting role, while Foye Oluokun got plenty of run for the second straight week. Otherwise, these are names you expect.