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It’s hard to focus on the snap counts when there is the looming cloud of uncertainty of whether the Chargers will stay in SD or relocate to LA. Like this kid in the photo, don’t make this the last game in SD, otherwise, future snap count articles will read “Los Angeles Chargers Snap Counts”. It feels so wrong typing that. Big picture, this was more than a meaningless game for the Chargers and the Chiefs. The Chiefs locked down the AFC West with this win. The Chargers locked in the number seven spot in this year’s NFL Draft and it was the final failure of the Mike McCoy era. Let’s take a look at the Chargers offensive and defensive playing time percentages.
Chargers Offense:
| Pos. | Name | W16 Snaps | % of Total W16 Snaps | W17 Snaps | % of Total W17 Snaps | WoW % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | Philip Rivers | 68 | 100% | 66 | 100% | 0% |
| T | Chris Hairston | 68 | 100% | 66 | 100% | 5% |
| G | D.J. Fluker | 61 | 90% | 66 | 100% | 10% |
| C | Matt Slauson | 21 | 31% | 66 | 100% | 69% |
| WR | Tyrell Wiliams | 56 | 82% | 62 | 94% | 12% |
| T | Joe Barksdale | 68 | 100% | 57 | 86% | -14% |
| WR | Dontrelle Inman | 56 | 82% | 53 | 80% | -2% |
| TE | Antonio Gates | 57 | 84% | 38 | 58% | -26% |
| RB | Ronnie Hillman | 26 | 38% | 38 | 58% | 20% |
| G | Orlando Franklin | 37 | 54% | 36 | 55% | 1% |
| TE | Hunter Henry | 19 | 28% | 36 | 55% | 27% |
| WR | Isaiah Burse | 0 | 0% | 36 | 55% | 55% |
| G | Kenny Wiggins | 36 | 53% | 32 | 48% | -5% |
| RB | Andre Williams | 0 | 0% | 27 | 41% | 41% |
| TE | Sean McGrath | 13 | 19% | 16 | 24% | 5% |
| WR | Geremy Davis | 7 | 10% | 12 | 18% | 8% |
| FB | Derek Watt | 13 | 19% | 10 | 15% | -4% |
| T | Tyreek Burwell | 0 | 0% | 9 | 14% | 14% |
| C | Spencer Pulley | 55 | 81% | 0 | 0% | -81% |
| WR | Travis Benjamin | 50 | 74% | 0 | 0% | -74% |
| RB | Kenneth Farrow | 37 | 54% | 0 | 0% | -54% |
| T | King Dunlap | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0% |
While the Chargers lost, there were a couple of bright spots on offense. Two players, Tyrell Williams and Antonio Gates, were looking to achieve a couple of milestones in Week 17. Tyrell Williams has been an absolute workhorse this season, nearly topping the snap counts charts week in and week out. Williams broke the 1,000 receiving yard mark this game, ending his season with 1,059 yards. The last receiver to break 1,000 yards was Keenan Allen in 2013. Some former basketball player, Antonio Gates, was looking to break an NFL record touchdown record for tight ends. He went and tied Tony Gonzalez’ TD record in the 2nd quarter. Great to see him tie the record at what may be the last home game, which sadly looked like an away game.
Here it is... The @AntonioGates85 touchdown that tied Tony Gonzalez's record https://t.co/sVXSCBffgz
— San Diego Chargers (@Chargers) January 1, 2017
With several key offensive players on IR, it will be interesting to see what the Chargers can do next season. Hopefully, the Chargers can stay healthy next season because they will have some dangerous weapons on offense.
Chargers Defense:
| Pos. | Name | W16 Snaps | % of Total W16 Snaps | W17 Snaps | % of Total W17 Snaps | WoW % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LB | Jatavis Brown | 71 | 100% | 61 | 100% | 0% |
| CB | Casey Hayward | 69 | 97% | 61 | 100% | 3% |
| LB | Melvin Ingram | 67 | 94% | 61 | 100% | 6% |
| FS | Dwight Lowery | 70 | 99% | 60 | 98% | -1% |
| CB | Trevor Williams | 71 | 100% | 59 | 97% | -3% |
| SS | Jahleel Addae | 70 | 99% | 59 | 97% | -2% |
| DE | Joey Bosa | 57 | 80% | 56 | 92% | 12% |
| DT | Corey Liuget | 61 | 86% | 49 | 80% | -6% |
| NT | Damion Square | 50 | 70% | 43 | 70% | 0% |
| LB | Kyle Emanuel | 29 | 41% | 33 | 54% | 13% |
| LB | Korey Toomer | 5 | 7% | 26 | 43% | 36% |
| SS | Adrian Phillips | 25 | 35% | 23 | 38% | 3% |
| LB | Joshua Perry | 5 | 7% | 21 | 34% | 27% |
| CB | Trovon Reed | 47 | 66% | 19 | 31% | -35% |
| CB | Robert McClain | 1 | 1% | 13 | 21% | 20% |
| NT | Ryan Carrethers | 10 | 14% | 10 | 16% | 2% |
| LB | Tourek Williams | 0 | 0% | 10 | 16% | 16% |
| DE | Darius Philon | 10 | 14% | 6 | 10% | -4% |
| LB | Chris Landrum | 15 | 21% | 1 | 2% | -19% |
| LB | Denzel Perryman | 47 | 66% | 0 | 0% | -66% |
| FS | Darrell Stuckey | 1 | 1% | 0 | 0% | -1% |
The defense was outplayed this game; there’s not much more to say about them. Alex Smith was able to carve up this defense and post a 112.8 QBR on Sunday. The defense was able to limit the Chiefs on the ground and was able to somewhat pressure Alex Smith. With Perryman out, a few LBs saw extra playing time such as Korey “It’s Not A” Toomer.
Joey Bosa is a machine. Bosa has been consistently remained at the top of the snap count charts the last few weeks and has been putting up impressive numbers. This week Bosa played 92% of the snaps on defense and came up with 5 tackles, 1 sack, and 3 tackles for a loss.
The Chargers have locked up the seventh pick in the draft, assuming they don’t trade up or down and may draft another defensive player in the first round. The safeties in this year’s draft have a lot of talent to offer, so maybe Dwight Lowery or Jahleel Addae might not top the snap count chart every week.
We’ll see you next season, hopefully breaking down the SAN DIEGO Chargers Snap Counts.