Danny Amendola suffers from a low snap count

See what I did with the title? It seems like my dear friend Danny Amendola did not get to see the field very often during the Patriots week 2 victory against the Vikings. According to an article done by our beloved writer from ESPN, Mike Reiss, Amendola was on the field for 19 out of 67 snaps. In week 1, Amendola's snap count was 61 out of 87. His decrease in snaps is one of those things that makes you go hmmmm. Let's breakdown the factors that may have played a role in Amendola's decreased playing time.

Factor #1 - Return of Aaron Dobson

After missing the first week of the season, Dobson returned to play against Minnesota in week two. It was clear that offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels, wanted to take advantage of Dobson's deep threat ability. Plus, I am sure they wanted to give Dobson more reps so that he can sync up with Tom Brady. Dobson played a total of 31 out of 67 snaps, twelve more than Amendola.

Factor #2 - Established a ground game

Was anyone else excited to see Stevan Ridley rush for over 100 yards with a touchdown? I know I sure as hell was! With the focus on our passing attack, the Vikings got caught with their pants down and allowed the Pats to establish the ground game. Since the rushing attack couldn't be stopped is why we saw more bigger bodies to help block. Last time I checked, Amendola is not part of the Pats jumbo package!

Factor #3 - Turnovers

The Patriots defense just created havoc on the Vikings offense led by Matt Cassel. Thanks to four interceptions, a fumble, and a blocked field goal that was returned for a touchdown, the offense had solid field position and no need for three wide receiver sets.

Factor #4 - Scoreboard

Last factor that impacted Amendola's playing time was the score. When you have a decent lead, there is no reason for your starters to see the field. This rings true especially if you are an injury prone player named Danny Amendola.

Given all these factors, I can't help but give Amendola the benefit of the doubt. However, I still get the feeling that he is on a short leash and may be gone before the end of the season (read my theory on trading Amendola)

Photo courtesy of Fansided

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