Wilkerson and Richardson Played Most of the Game....Did It Cost Them?

One of the keys to Sunday's loss to the Patriots was how the pass rush fell off late in the game. It seemed like fatigue might have been an issue. Tom Brady dropped back around 60 times in the game. Trying to get upfield with 300 men pounding on you that many times is bound to take a toll and create some fatigue. You also have to remember these passes were not spread out evenly over the course of the game. The Jets controlled the ball early in the game. These New England passes came in rapid succession during the most critical portion of the second half.

The reason I bring this up is something that sticks out when reviewing snap counts. Muhammad Wilkerson played 94% of the snaps. Sheldon Richardson player 87%. Leger Douzable only played 9. I get that Wilkerson and Richardson both usually carry heavy snap loads. I also get that New England's tempo on offense makes it difficult to substitute at times. If Tom Brady sees one of the defense's best players on the bench, he might run his offense at a pace that keeps said player on the bench. With that said, it feels like the Jets did not make full use of their excellent depth up front, and it might have cost them. The flip side of the tempo argument is a bunch of pass plays when they are against an up tempo offense will tire out big defensive linemen even quicker.

I cannot help wonder whether part of the reason the Pats were so pass heavy was to try and wear out the Jets' front. Was Todd Bowles outfoxed a bit? He wouldn't be the first opposing coach Bill Belichick did that to.

Full defensive snap totals are below.