Around The NFL has been churning out snap reports each week to highlight surprising trends in playing time.
Below is a list of players catching our eye for telling snap counts. Some suggest breakouts over the next few weeks, while others bode poorly for established starters.
1. Chris Ivory, Jets: Coach Rex Ryan suggested last week that Ivory might take on a larger role. For the first time all season, Ivory played more snaps than Chris Johnson in the loss to the Lions. In fact, Ivory more than doubled Johnson's snaps. Until Ivory goes down with an injury, he should be the Jets' primary back.
2. Bishop Sankey, Titans: Relegated to an afterthought in the first two weeks, Sankey has led the Titans backfield in snaps in back-to-back games. Coach Ken Whisenhunt vowed to increase the rookie's workload versus the Browns in Week 5. Sankey is a good bet to lead the team in touches going forward.
3. Theo Riddick, Lions: An offseason hype bunny, Riddick has been a non-factor over the first month of the regular season. Whereas Joique Bell and Reggie Bush are both over 130 snaps, Riddick has seen the field on 13 plays this year. He played just two snaps against the Jets, perhaps because he offers nothing that Bush and Bell can't already do.
4. Vincent Brown, Raiders: Signed off the street in mid-September, Brown played 32 snaps to 60 for Andre Holmes and 57 for James Jones. It appears that Brown is now the No. 3 receiver, as Denarius Moore was a healthy scratch against the Dolphins.
5. Louis Murphy, Buccaneers: Re-signed just days before, Murphy led the Bucs with six receptions and 99 yards at Pittsburgh in Week 4, making a series of clutch catches in the fourth quarter. Despite playing just 39 of 65 snaps, Murphy produced the fourth-most productive game of his six-year career. With Mike Evans sidelined by a groin injury, Murphy will start opposite Vincent Jacksonin New Orleans.
6. Santonio Holmes, Bears: Holmes' return to New Jersey was uneventful, as he was overtaken by Josh Morgan as third in the pecking order at wide receiver for the first time all season.
7. Toby Gerhart, Jaguars: Those who stumbled upon last week's snap report saw this coming. The Jaguars want to see more of Denard Robinson. That happened at Gerhart's expense in Week 4 at San Diego. Robinson was the more impressive back and had 15 more snaps than Gerhart to show for it.
8. Branden Oliver, Chargers: An uncanny Darren Sproles look-alike as No. 43 in a Chargers uniform, Oliver doesn't measure up to Sproles' once-in-a-lifetimelightning quickness and agility. The undrafted rookie did see a season-high in snaps, though, playing roughly half as many as Donald Brown. If Brown struggles again in Week 5, Oliver's playing time could rise again.
9. Dri Archer, Steelers: The Steelers had bigplans for the speedy scatback, but he missed most of the first month after suffering knee and ankle injuries in the season opener. The third-round rookie was eased back in versus the Bucs, giving him three offensive snaps.
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