Snap counts: Takoby Cofield gets heavy workload against Falcons

It’s the preseason, so snap counts can’t be read into too heavily. Still, it can help paint a more clear picture of the roster as the third preseason game — the dress-rehearsal for the starters — creeps closer.

Backups played the majority of the snaps after the starters were yanked early in last Thursday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Kirk Cousins and the Redskins’ skill players were pulled after the first series and the starting offensive line stayed in for the first three drives.

The first-team defense, except for cornerback Josh Norman and outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, was left in until the end of the first quarter, presumably because they held the Falcons to three-and-out on the first two possessions. Norman and Kerrigan were pulled after the first series.

With that, here are some other things that stood out:

** Second-year tackle Takoby Cofield got a hefty workload, logging 46 snaps with the offense on both the left and right side. Cofield, who primarily played left tackle at Duke, said he is naturally more comfortable with his footwork on the right side but enjoys working at both spots. Cofield spent all of the 2015 season the practice squad after signing as an undrafted free agent and the Redskins are certainly giving him the opportunity to make his case for a spot on the active roster.

Ty Nsekhe is the team’s backup tackle and started in place of Trent Williams, who was held out with knee soreness. Nsekhe played 32 snaps, which was longer than most of the starters, but Cofield logged time at both right and left tackle with the second and third teams. 

Along with left guard Arie Kouandjio, Cofield is a second-year player the Redskins hope can make a big improvement. 

** Spencer Long also had a busy day, as he has had all throughout training camp, manning both the starting left guard position and the backup center role. Shawn Lauvao, who is competing with Long at left guard, played 16 snaps in his first game action since sustaining a season-ending ankle injury in Week 3 last September.

** It was good to see inside linebacker Martrell Spaight on the field for 31 snaps, the third-most of any player, after missing his rookie season because of a concussion. Spaight said it felt great to be back on the field but admitted he was rusty. The hard-hitter led the team with six tackles, but felt some of his assignments could have been defended more cleanly.

** Rashad Ross and Maurice Harris took the most snaps of all wide receivers with 45 and 38, respectively. The Redskins have liked how Harris has performed in training camp and like Cofield, the coaches gave him an opportunity to be on the field plenty. He likely would have received more snaps had he not injured his left knee, but he expects to be back at practice on Thursday.

Presuming the Redskins carry six receivers, Harris could challenge Ross for the final spot, but the team also likes Ross as a kick returner.

The full snap counts are listed below, with the total number played in parentheses:

Offense: OT Takoby Cofield (46/62), WR Rashad Ross (45/62), WR Maurice Harris (38/62), QB Nate Sudfeld (35/62), TE Logan Paulsen (34/62), LG/C Spencer Long (33/62), LT Ty Nsekhe (32/62), OG Nila Kasitati (28/62), WR Ryan Grant (25/62), OG Josh LeRibeus 24/62), TE Marcel Jensen (21/62), LG Arie Kouandjio (21/62), C Austin Reiter (21/62), WR Valdez Showers (20/62), QB Colt McCoy (19/62), RB Robert Kelley (18/62), RT Isaiah Williams (17/62), RB Mack Brown (17/62), LG Brandon Scherff (17/62), C Kory Lichtensteiger (17/62), LG Shawn Lauvao (16/62), TE Vernon Davis (14/62), RB Keith Marshall (13/62), OT Al Bond (13/62), WR T.J. Thorpe (10/62), RB Chris Thompson (8/62), WR Dez Stewart (8/62), WR DeSean Jackson (8/62), QB Kirk Cousins (8/62), WR Pierre Garcon (8/62), OT Cody Booth (8/62), RB Matt Jones (6/62), TE Niles Paul (5/62), WR Kendal Thompson (5/62), WR Jarvis Turner (4/62), FB Joe Kerridge (3/62).

Defense: CB Quinton Dunbar (34/68), OLB Trent Murphy (34/68), ILB Martrell Spaight (31/68), SS Duke Ihenacho (31/68), CB Greg Toler (30/68), CB Will Blackmon (30/68), CB Kendall Fuller (27/68), SS Geno Matias-Smith (27/68), CB Jeremy Harris (26/68), ILB Carlos Fields (25/68), FS Deshazor Everett (25/68), ILB Su’a Cravens (24/68), NT Matt Ioannidis (24/68), NT Ziggy Hood (22/68), ILB Terence Garvin (21/68), CB Dashaun Phillips (21/68), DE Stephen Paea (21/68), DE Kendall Reyes (20/68), DE Ricky Jean Francois (20/68), OLB Houston Bates (19/68), OLB Preston Smith (18/68), DE Corey Crawford (DE 16/68), CB Lloyd Carrington (16/68), DE Chris Baker (16/68), OLB Ejiro Ederaine (15/68), DE Anthony Lanier (15/68), OLB Mike Wakefield (14/68), SS David Bruton (13/68), OLB Mason Foster (12/68), FS DeAngelo Hall (12/68), ILB Perry Riley (11/68), NT Kedric Golston (11/68), CB Mariel Cooper (10/68), OLB Willie Jefferson (9/68), ILB Shiro Davis (7/68), CB Bashaud Breeland (7/68), CB Josh Norman (3/68), OLB Ryan Kerrigan (3/68).

Special teams: Nick Sundberg (19/32), Jefferson (18/32), Showers (14/32), Fuller (14/32), Fields (14/32), Spaight (13/32), Brown (12/32), Everett (11/32), Tress Way (11/32), Ihenacho (10/32), Wakefield (10/32), Toler (9/32), Cravens (9/32), Dustin Hopkins (8/32), Garvin (8/32), Matias-Smith (8/32), Thorpe (7/32), Kerridge (7/32), Ioannidis (7/32), Phillips (7/32), Crawford (7/32), Carrington (7/32), Bates (6/32), Jensen (6/32), M. Harris (5/32), Grant (5/32), Lanier (5/32), Ederaine (5/32), Davis (4/32), Cooper (4/32), Foster (4/32), Hood (4/32), (Dunbar (4/32), Paulsen (4/32), Cofield (4/32), Kasitati (3/32), LeRibeus (3/32), Kouandjio (3/32), Reiter (3/32), Williams (3/32), Marshall (3/32), Paul (3/32), J. Harris (3/32), Murphy (3/32), Ross (2/32), Thompson (2/32), Blackmon (2/32), Riley (2/32), Young (1/32), Stewart (1/32), Davis (1/32), Lauvao (1/32), Moses (1/32), Scherff (1/32), Long (1/32).