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Colts snap counts: Andre Johnson's diminishing role

Stephen Holder
IndyStar
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Andre Johnson (81) walks onto the field during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 29, 2015, at Lucas Oil Stadium. Colts won 25-12.

Looking at this week's Colts snap counts sheds some real light on the diminishing role of receiver Andre Johnson.

In Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Johnson, in the first year of a three-year, $21 million contract, saw more dramatic drop-off in his involvement. Johnson was on the field for just 33 snaps, equating to 45 percent of the Colts' offensive snaps in the game. That's a startlingly low number for a starting wide receiver, but it's an indication the Colts recognize what they have to do to win. By comparison, Donte Moncrief played 80 percent of the snaps, while Griff Whalen played 34 percent.

For context, let's look at some of Johnson's snap counts from earlier in the season. Take the Colts' Week 6 game against the New England Patriots. Johnson played 85 percent of the snaps that night, with Moncrief at 73 percent and Whalen at 5 percent. In Week 7 against the New Orleans Saints, Johnson played 92 percent of offensive snaps, with Moncrief at 90 percent and Whalen at 3 percent. In Week 8 against the Carolina Panthers, Johnson played 78 percent of snaps, Moncrief 92 percent and Whalen 12 percent.

Week 9 — the same week Rob Chudzinski took over as offensive play caller — Johnson's big decline really begins.

That week, against the Denver Broncos, he played just 42 percent of snaps. Moncrief played 70 percent and Whalen 30 percent. That continued after the bye in Week 11 against the Atlanta Falcons, with Johnson playing 48 percent of snaps, Moncrief 84 percent and Whalen 24 percent.

That's a stark contrast in Johnson's level of involvement. He is still capable of contributing — as he did with a big 22-yard gain on a post route Sunday — but those kinds of plays have come few and far between for Johnson. The Colts are no longer going to keep Johnson on the field at the expense of keeping other potential playmakers off it.

Call Star reporter Stephen Holder at (317) 444-6520. Follow him on Twitter: @HolderStephen.

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Here's the rest of this week's snap counts:

OFFENSE

LT Joe Reitz, 74, 100 percent

RG Hugh Thornton, 74, 100 percent

LG Jack Mewhort, 74 100 percent

C Jon Harrison, 74, 100 percent

QB Matt Hasselbeck, 74, 100 percent

RT Denzelle Good, 74, 100 percent

WR T.Y. Hilton, 61, 82 percent

WR Donte Moncrief, 59, 80 percent

RB Frank Gore, 51, 69 percent

TE Dwayne Allen, 48, 65 percent

TE Coby Fleener, 43, 58 percent

WR Andre Johnson, 33, 45 percent

TE Jack Doyle, 25, 34 percent

WR Griff Whalen, 25, 34 percent

RB Ahmad Bradshaw, 22, 30 percent

RB Boom Herron, 3, 4 percent

DEFENSE

ILB D'Qwell Jackson, 67, 100 percent

FS Dwight Lowery, 67, 100 percent

CB Vontae Davis, 67, 100 percent

CB Greg Toler, 65, 97 percent

SS Clayton Geathers, 62, 93 percent

ILB Jerrell Freeman, 46, 69 percent

DE Kendall Langford, 45, 67 percent

OLB Erik Walden, 43, 64 percent

OLB Trent Cole, 40, 60 percent

OLB Robert Mathis, 39, 58 percent

CB Darius Butler, 36, 54 percent

DT Billy Winn, 34, 51 percent

NT David Parry, 34, 51 percent

OLB Jonathan Newsome, 24, 36 percent

DT T.Y. McGill, 24, 36 percent

DT Zach Kerr, 21, 31 percent

ILB Nate Irving, 18, 27 percent

CB D'Joun Smith, 2, 3 percent

S Colt Anderson, 1, 1 percent

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