The Washington Commanders picked up a much-needed win on Sunday, defeating the New England Patriots 20-17 in a game that was much closer than it should have been.
Washington’s offense dominated much of the game, but a pair of turnovers almost cost the Commanders the game. Fortunately for Washington, quarterback Sam Howell was dealing on Sunday, completing 29 of 45 passes for 325 yards.
Sunday’s game also saw the return of rookie cornerback Emmanuel Forbes to the lineup. Over the last four games, Forbes had played a total of 34 snaps due to his struggles.
It was also the Commanders’ first game without edge rushers Montez Sweat and Chase Young. Who played the majority of snaps with the former starters elsewhere?
We review the snap counts from Week 9.
Offense
This was the second consecutive game for Washington’s reconfigured offensive line with Tyler Larsen at center and Chris Paul at left guard. All five offensive line starters played every snap.
At wide receiver, Terry McLaurin led the way, participating in 86% of the snaps, followed by Jahan Dotson (76%), Jamison Crowder (47%), Dyami Brown (29%) and Byron Pringle (23%). No player took advantage of their snaps more than Pringle, who was excellent in his limited opportunities.
At running back, Brian Robinson Jr. led the way with 44 snaps, with Antonio Gibson right behind him (34). Both players were effective, and it was one of Gibson’s better performances recently. Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy has figured out how to best use Gibson.
Defense
Five players played every snap; four of them were in the secondary. Linebacker Jamin Davis played every snap again.
Who replaced Sweat and Young’s snaps? Unsurprisingly, James Smith-Williams (69%) and Casey Toohill (66%) led the way. Efe Obada totaled 21 snaps, while rookies Andre Jones Jr. (14 snaps) and K.J. Henry (9) also saw action. It was Henry’s first action, and he had a sack stolen from him due to a ridiculous roughing-the-passer penalty.
