In the Arizona Cardinals’ 24-15 loss against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, the defense was on the field for 69 snaps. Only one player was on the field for every snap.
How was the playing time divided up?
Below are the individual snap counts on defense in each position group and what we can take away from the numbers.
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Defensive line
J.J. Watt, 58; Leki Fotu, 49; Jonathan Ledbetter, 41; Trysten Hill, 23; Manny Jones, 13
Ledbetter and Fotu played more than they had this season. Watt continues to play a lot.
Outside linebacker
Markus Golden, 49; Victor Dimukeje, 14; Dennis Gardeck, 11; Myjai Sanders, 11; Cameron Thomas, 10; Jesse Luketa, 6
Basically, Golden played a lot and then the other position was split up between the four other players. Isaiah Simmons and Zaven Collins also lineup off the edge at times.
Inside linebacker
Zaven Collins, 69; Isaiah Simmons, 61; Tanner Vallejo, 37; Ben Niemann, 19; Zeke Turner, 9; Kamu Grugier-Hill, 6
Simmons mostly plays defensive back these days. Vallejo has overtaken Niemann in playing time. Grugier-Hill got his first defensive playing time of the season.
Cornerback
Christian Matthew, 66; Jace Whittaker, 62; Nate Hairston, 3
Matthew exited the game briefly with an injury. Hairston became the 78th player the Cardinals have used this season.
Safety
