Chiefs’ snap counts from Sunday’s Patriots game: Spencer Ware leads the backfield
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes shook off an early interception and a hand injury to help lead Kansas City to a 23-16 win over the New England Patriots in Week 14.
Mahomes did not exit the game with the hand injury and ended up playing all 78 offensive snaps, completed 26 of 40 passes for 283 yards and a touchdown for an 83.6 passer rating. He also rushed six times for 6 yards.
The signal-caller’s yardage output represented in increase from his previous two games: Mahomes threw for less than 200 yards in both contests.
Here is how the other snap counts spread out amongst the team.
Running backs
Spencer Ware (31), LeSean McCoy (24), Darwin Thompson (21), Anthony Sherman (3, 19 on special teams)
The Chiefs entered the game shorthanded with Damien Williams (rib) down.
Ware, who rejoined the Chiefs in the week leading to Sunday’s game, led the backfield with 31 snaps. He totaled 11 yards rushing on five carries, gaining tough yards between the tackles when called upon. Ware’s familiarity with the Chiefs likely had a lot to do with his playing time — he was a plug-and-play option after previously spending four seasons in Kansas City (2015-18).
McCoy led the team in rushing with 39 yards on 11 carries, while Thompson chipped in with 43 total yards (36 receiving).
How the Chiefs utilize the running backs in Week 15 will depend greatly on Williams’ availability. Williams has missed two straight games since suffering the rib injury in Week 11.
Wide receivers
Tyreek Hill (71), Sammy Watkins (71), Demarcus Robinson (62, 7 on ST), Mecole Hardman (14, 11 on ST), Byron Pringle (1, 18 on ST)
Hill and Watkins paced the wide receivers group with 71 snaps each. Of the team’s 26 catches for 283 yards, Hill and Watkins combined for 10 catches and 112 yards.
Robinson saw action on 62 snaps as the Chiefs utilized a lot of 11 personnel sets (one running back, one tight end, three wide receivers), but saw just two targets. He had one catch for 12 yards.
Hardman made the most of his one catch, hauling it in for a 48-yard touchdown. The rookie wide receiver totaled 14 offensive snaps, and contributed 93 total returns yards as a returner on 11 special teams snaps.
Pringle had one offensive snap but got his name in the box score with a catch for a hard-fought 14 yards.The Kansas State product contributed 18 snaps on special teams.
Tight ends
Travis Kelce (77), Blake Bell (15, 19 on ST)
Kelce played 77 of the team’s 78 offensive snaps and totaled seven catches for 66 yards on nine targets. He is now 11 yards shy of establishing his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season, which would set a new NFL record at the tight end position.
Bell saw action on 15 offensive snaps. The Chiefs didn’t utilize a lot of 12 personnel packages (two tight ends) against the Patriots. Bell, though, contributed on 19 of the team’s 21 snaps on special teams.
Offensive line
Eric Fisher (78, 5 on ST), Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (78, 5 on ST), Austin Reiter (78, 5 on ST), Mitchell Schwartz (75, 5 on ST), Andrew Wylie (54, 3 on ST), , Stefen Wisniewski (24, 5 on ST), Cam Erving (3, 2 on ST)
Schwartz missed two snaps while going through the NFL’s concussion protocol but was able to return and finish the game.
Wylie left the game briefly before returning. Wisniewski filled in at left guard during Wylie’s absence and totaled 24 offensive snaps.
Erving was briefly pressed into action when Schwartz left the game.
Defensive line
Alex Okafor (54, 3 on ST), Chris Jones (53, 3 on ST), Tanoh Kpassagnon (47, 3 on ST), Derrick Nnadi (33, 3 on ST), Frank Clark (31), Demone Harris (18), Mike Pennel (18), Khalen Saunders (14)
Okafor and Kpassagnon drew the start at the defensive end positions and were productive. Okafor totaled a sack, and Kpassagnon totaled two tackles, a quarterback hit and blocked a kick for a second straight week.
Clark, who battled an illness leading to the game, saw action as part of the defensive line rotation and totaled four tackles, a sack and a quarterback hit on just 31 snaps.
Harris, seeing his first action since the Chiefs signed him off the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad, totaled two tackles on 18 defensive snaps.
Linebackers
Anthony Hitchens (54, 3 on ST), Damien Wilson (34), Reggie Ragland (17), Ben Niemann (13, 21 on ST), Dorian O’Daniel (21 on ST), Darron Lee (18 on ST),
Hitchens led the linebackers group in snaps, while Wilson made the most of his 34 snaps with a team-high eight tackles, which included two for a loss.
Ragland played just 17 snaps, while Niemann got in on 13 defensive snaps as part of the linebacker rotation.
Niemann totaled 13 defensive snaps, while playing on all 21 special teams snaps.
Lee and O’Daniel saw action exclusively on special teams.
Defensive backs
Juan Thornhill (67, 6 on ST), Tyrann Mathieu (67), Charvarius Ward (67, 6 on ST), Bashaud Breeland (67), Daniel Sorensen (50, 15 on ST), Kendall Fuller (33), Jordan Lucas (21 on ST), Armani Watts (18 on ST), Alex Brown (8 on ST)
The Chiefs got the most out of their starting safeties and cornerbacks, as Mathieu, Thornhill, Ward and Breeland played all defensive snaps.
Breeland, in particular, enjoyed a tremendous game: three tackles, an interception and the game-sealing pass defensed in the end zone, when he knocked away Tom Brady’s pass to receiver Julian Edelman.
Mathieu’s six tackles finished as the second-most on the team.
The Chiefs also utilized a three-safety look with Sorensen, who totaled 50 defensive snaps.
Fuller totaled 33 snaps as part of the Chiefs’ nickel package.
Specialists
Harrison Butker (11), Dustin Colquitt (9), James Winchester (9)
Butker connected on all three field goal attempts, which included a 48-yard effort.
While Colquitt had a punt blocked, he totaled 131 yards on three other punts, an average of 43.7 yards.
Inactives
Damien Williams (rib), Morris Claiborne (shoulder), Rashad Fenton (hamstring), Chad Henne, Nick Allegretti, Jackson Barton, Deon Yelder
