Colts vs Broncos Week 15 snap count figures and notes

Following the Indianapolis Colts’ devastating loss to the Denver Broncos, Pro Football Focus has tallied the team’s snap count figures from Sunday’s game.

So, what stood out on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball?

Now, 15 weeks into the NFL season, there really aren’t many surprises at this stage of the game. For the most part, we know what the playing time for each player is generally going to look like.

But having said that, each week, there are a few noteworthy observations to make.

With help from PFF, here are the Colts’ snap count figures from Week 15, along with some quick notes.

Colts offense

Quick takeaways

– With Ryan Kelly still on injured reserve, the team opted to give Danny Pinter the start at center over Tanor Bortolini. My guess is that the reason behind this decision was continuity up front, after the combination of Pinter at center and Mark Glowinski at right guard found success in the Colts’ Week 13 win.

– Mo Alie-Cox was third among the tight ends in snaps in this game, when he is often first in that category. He did come into Sunday’s game listed as questionable with a hip injury.

– Without Ashton Dulin and then Alec Pierce exiting the game, AD Mitchell took on a much larger role.

Colts defense

Quick takeaways

– Tyquan Lewis was again the fourth defensive end in terms of playing time. Before his injury, he was starting opposite of Kwity Paye. It’s now been three games since Lewis has returned from IR, so I would guess that they are no longer easing him in and this will be the norm going forward.

– Grant Stuard played 21 snaps, which tells us that the Colts spent roughly one-third of the game lined up in their base 4-3 defense and the rest predominantly in nickel with three cornerbacks and two linebackers.

– I’ve mentioned it before, but when Raekwon Davis was signed in the offseason, I thought there would be a larger role for him as the third defensive lineman in the rotation, there to help bolster the run defense depth. However, on the year, he’s played fewer than one-third of the defensive snaps and that’s even with his role increasing for a stretch when the team was without Buckner.