FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins found himself in a familiar place in his return to action after missing four games with an illness -- at the top of the stat sheet.
Collins finished with eight tackles (three solo) and was credited with a quarterback hit, pass defended and a forced fumble in the team’s 35-28 loss to the Eagles.
The Patriots spent most of the game in their 4-2-5 nickel package, with Collins one of the two linebackers in the middle.
His return provides the springboard to this week’s snap-count analysis.
Total offensive snaps: 89
Total defensive snaps: 61
Linebacker
Jamie Collins -- 54
Jonathan Freeny -- 47
Jerod Mayo -- 13
Notes: Collins would normally play every snap, but he was still working his way back to 100 percent after missing the prior four games with an undisclosed illness. Mayo remains behind Freeny on the depth chart. Freeny had the green dot on his helmet as the primary communicator.
Safety
Patrick Chung -- 61
Devin McCourty -- 61
Duron Harmon -- 53
Nate Ebner -- 8
Tavon Wilson -- 1
Notes: The Patriots played most of the game in their three-safety nickel package, with Harmon as the deep center fielder, and McCourty often moving down closer to the line of scrimmage. Ebner came on in the dime package (six defensive backs).
Cornerback
Malcolm Butler -- 61
Logan Ryan -- 61
Notes: No defensive snaps for No. 3 option Rashaan Melvin, as the Patriots tapped their safety depth in sub packages. That could change next week if rookie Justin Coleman, who has missed the past three games with a hand injury, is ready to return.
Defensive end
Chandler Jones -- 52
Rob Ninkovich -- 49
Jabaal Sheard -- 37
Notes: Sheard spelled both Jones and Ninkovich at times, and the three have been playing together in obvious passing situations.
Defensive tackle
Malcom Brown -- 37
Alan Branch -- 36
Akiem Hicks -- 23
Sealver Siliga -- 17
Notes: Brown, the first-round pick out of Texas, has averaged 37.75 snaps per game over the last four contests. He had averaged 24.6 over the season’s first eight games.
Offensive line
LT Sebastian Vollmer – 89
RT Marcus Cannon –89
C Bryan Stork – 89
LG/RG Josh Kline – 76
RG Tre' Jackson – 65
LG Shaq Mason – 38
OT/TE Cameron Fleming -- 3
Notes: The Patriots dressed eight linemen, as undrafted rookie David Andrews was the only blocker not to play. Jackson started at right guard and the team rotated Mason into the game as the top backup. Prior to the game, Bill Belichick said on 98.5 The Sports Hub that the hope was to settle into a consistent grouping at this point in the season.
Running back
James White -- 51
LeGarrette Blount -- 26
Brandon Bolden -- 19
Notes: The 51 snaps were a career high for White, the 2014 fourth-round draft choice. His prior high was 43, against the Jets on Oct. 25. Blount played 17 of his 26 snaps in the first half, but as the Patriots were forced to play catch-up in the second half, it turned into a passing game with White.
Tight end
Scott Chandler -- 61
Michael Williams -- 25
Asante Cleveland -- 11
Notes: Chandler’s 61 snaps are a season high, topping the 54 he played against Denver on Nov. 29. He was targeted seven times, while Williams and Cleveland weren’t targeted.
Wide receiver
Keshawn Martin -- 86
Brandon LaFell -- 84
Danny Amendola -- 75
Damaris Johnson -- 3
Notes: Most of the game was spent in the three-receiver package, with Martin and LaFell the top outside targets, and Amendola the No. 3. Johnson got into the mix early with a 7-yard run on a jet sweep, but overall, he has a lot of catch-up to do to learn the offense after joining the team last week.
Quarterback
Tom Brady -- 89
Notes: In-game statisticians recorded 13 hits against him. The Eagles had four sacks.