Check out how the Cardinals split up their defensive and special teams snaps against the Saints.
In the Arizona Cardinals‘ 20-13 win over the New Orleans Saints, 18 players participated in at least one of the 75 defensive snaps, while 34 players participated in at least one of the 27 special teams snaps.
Of note is that five played every snap. Another five played snaps only on special teams. The Cardinals opened the game in their base defense with three down linemen, four linebackers and four defensive backs.
How were those snaps divided up? Below are the individual snap counts for every player who got in the game on defense or special teams.
The first number after each name is snaps and the second is the percentage. Players in bold were starters.
Arizona Cardinals defensive snap counts: Defensive linemenDarius Robinson (42/56), Dante Stills 34/45, Calais Campbell (33/44), L.J. Collier (29/39), Dalvin Tomlinson (25/33), P.J. Mustipher (11/15)Reserve/injured (eligible to return): Justin JonesReserve/physically unable to perform: Bilal Nichols, Walter Nolen III
Hitting his target range of 33 snaps, Campbell ended up as the group’s leading tackler with five (three solo). Stills combined with Mack Wilson Sr. on a crucial two-yard loss by running back Alvin Kamara on second-and-goal from the 3-yard line prior to a late fourth-quarter field goal, although Wilson got the credit. Stills did have three tackles (two solo). Robinson was flagged for a neutral-zone violation on third-and-4 in the third quarter.
LinebackersILB Mack Wilson Sr. (75/100), OLB Josh Sweat (47/63), OLB Baron Browning (40/53), OLB Zaven Collins (37/49), ILB Akeem Davis-Gaither (28/37), OLB Jordan Burch (28/37)Did not play (except on special teams): ILB Owen Pappoe, ILB Cody SimonInactive: OLB Xavier ThomasReserve/physically unable to perform: OLB BJ OjulariReserve/injured: ILB J.J. Russell
Browning had the team’s only sack and it was on third-and-6 in the third quarter. He also had three tackles (one solo/one for loss) and a quarterback hit. Wilson had eight tackles (four for loss) and a pass defensed. Davis-Gaither and Collins each had four tackles (two solo), while ADG also had a pass defensed. Collins suffered a hand injury.
Sweat had a quiet game with one solo tackle and a QB hit. He did have a few pressures when he was close to quarterback Spencer Rattler, but wasn’t able to finish. That was a far cry from his previous game with the Eagles in New Orleans seven months ago.
In Philadelphia’s 40-22 Super Bowl win over the Chiefs, he had 2.5 sacks for 11 yards, six tackles (four solo/two for loss) and three QB hits. Sweat told the team website last week that when he saw the Cardinals schedule, “To be real, that’s all I’ve been thinking of. It couldn’t be more of a coincidence for me. But man, it’s exciting.” Perhaps he was a tad too excited.
Defensive backsCB Garrett Williams (75/100), CB Max Melton (75/100), S Budda Baker (75/100), S Jalen Thompson (75/100), SDadrion Taylor-Demerson (50/67), CB Will Johnson (45/60)Did not play (except on special teams): S Joey Blount, CB Denzel Burke, S Kitan CrawfordInactive: CB Kei’Trel Clark, CB Elijah JonesReserve/injured: CB Starling Thomas VReserve/non-football injury: CB Sean Murphy-Bunting
Ho-hum. Another 10-tackle game for Baker that included five solo/one for loss and a pass defensed. The latter was a timely third-down play in the final seconds on which he and Thompson converged on Saints tight end Juwan Johnson, who wasn’t able to secure the throw from Rattler. Thompson had eight tackles (four solo). Johnson and Melton had good games, although Melton was flagged for illegal contact and holding.
The former negated an interception by Johnson, who had a solo tackle and three passes defensed including a massive hit on wide receiver Chris Olave. Melton finished with six tackles (four solo) and a pass defensed. Williams had four tackles (two solo), but did have a pass-interference penalty for seven yards. Taylor-Demerson had three solo tackles and two passes defensed.
Special teams snap countsS Kitan Crawford (22/81), LB Owen Pappoe (20/74), LB Akeem Davis-Gaither (19/70), RB/RS Emari Demercado (16/59), CB Denzel Burk (15/56), S Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (14/52), TE Tip Reiman (12/44), TE Travis Vokolek (12/44), K Chad Ryland (10/37), TE Elijah Higgins (10/37), LB Jordan Burch (10/37), LB Cody Simon (10/37), S Joey Blount (10/37), WR/RS Greg Dortch (9/33), P Blake Gillikin (9/33), LS Aaron Brewer (9/33), LB Zaven Collins (9/33), CB Garrett Williams (8/30), T Paris Johnson Jr. (5/19), T Kelvin Beachum (5/19), T Josh Fryar (5/19), G Evan Brown (5/19), G Isaiah Adams (5/19), C/G Jon Gaines II (5/19), C Hjalte Froholdt (5/19), DL Calais Campbell (5/19), DL Darius Robinson (5/19), DL Dante Stills (5/19), DL Dalvin Tomlinson (5/19), CB Max Melton (5/19), S Budda Baker (5/19), CB Will Johnson (4/15), S Jalen Thompson (3/11), WR Xavier Weaver (1/4)
Ryland saw his streak of 11 consecutive made field goals end when a 46-yard attempt was blocked thanks to an athletic play by Saints 6-foot-5, 305-pound defensive end Bryan Bresee, who leaped over the line to get his hand on the ball. He did connect on kicks from 42 and 50 yards, the latter his fifth consecutive 50-yard-plus since joining the Cardinals last season. Gillikin averaged 47.0 yards (42.5 net) on four punts.
Dortch and Demercado were the kickoff returners. Dortch had two 22-yard returns, while Demercasdo had one for 29. Dortch had a 23-yard punt return, but only seven on another two. However, on one, he caught the ball near the sideline, but couldn’t keep himself from going out of bounds and it went for zero return yardage. Kendre Miller had a 43-yard kickoff return for the Saints.
Davis-Gaither had three special-teams tackles (one solo). Simon and Blount left the game on the same kickoff at the end of the first half. Both are being evaluated for concussions.
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