Buffalo Bills snap counts vs. Houston Texans

The Buffalo Bills took on the Houston Texans in what turned out to be a very winnable game. Miscues and multiple minor tragedies led to a heartbreaking loss. In this week’s look at playing time, the accolades go to players with high snap counts on the defense.

Offense (62 snaps)

Vladimir Ducasse exited the game with a knee injury, and was replaced by Ryan Groy. Jeremiah Sirles came in for six snaps for the Bills’ heavy package. Similarly, Patrick DiMarco was in for a relatively high 12 plays.

Zay Jones was already leading the receivers in snaps and was on the field 94% of the time. LeSean McCoy was up next for most snaps among skill players with 47 plays. His 16 attempts means he’s asked to run about every three snaps he sees. Five targets added to that means McCoy was the workhorse for the day yet again. Logan Thomas and Jason Croom saw roughly equal playing time.

The big story of course is Josh Allen leaving the game early due to injury. With current information suggesting he’ll be out for a bit, it should be interesting to see if the offense is altered to suit Allen’s temporary replacement.

Defense (61 snaps)

Not only did the full 100% club come out intact, they added a new member. While he flirted with it last week, Matt Milano became the latest defender to achieve omnipresence on the field. The versatility that this group brings to the table has been a major factor in the recent success of the Bills’ defense.

Taron Johnson’s 66% on-field snap count sets the floor of the use of a nickel defense. Rafael Bush’s 34% of playing time suggests it was much higher, likely the entire game. Lorenzo Alexander is listed as a linebacker, but has been used on the line much more this season.

The defensive line continues to rotate as they have been with a ²⁄₃ to ¹⁄₃ goal for most spots. Trent Murphy’s undisclosed injury during the game put him briefly on the sideline, lowering his total a bit. The Bills continue to emphasize their faster lineup at tackle with Star Lotulelei falling under the 50% mark again. The newest addition, Jordan Phillips, stayed at around the ¹⁄₃ mark.

Special Teams (28 snaps)

Only players seeing 30% or more of time on special teams are shown above. Despite poor performances so far this year, the core group remains relatively stable. Several key starters continue to see significant playing time on special teams, including the newly minted 100% man, Matt Milano.