As the New England Patriots savor their 27-24 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday at SoFi Stadium, (improving their record to 4-4 on the 2021 season) they continue to take stock into their performance on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Mac Jones would throw for 218 yards, with neither a touchdown pa s nor an interception. Damien Harris would add 80 yards rushing on 23 carries, with a touchdown of his own. Safety (and former Charger) Adrian Phillips put the Pats ahead for good with a pick-six of Bolts quarterback Justin Herbert, thus sealing Tyler Anderson Jersey the win for New England.Heading into their Week Nine matchup with the Carolina Panthers, there are plenty of areas in which the Patriots will seek improvement. While game-film analysis will be the main focus, a look at playing time may a sist the Pats in helping to devise effective strategies moving forward. Here is a look at the Patriots offensive and defensive snap counts from Sundays matchup, along with some po sible insight on New Englands future game-planning.Offensive SnapsOn offense, the Pats snap count was 77 on Sunday:The Patriots seemed to have found some much-needed consistency along the offensive line, and it has led to succe s. New England is putting together longer, sustained drives, which led to them winning the time-of-po se sion battle against Los Angeles on Sunday. The Pats Trevor Story Jersey po se sed the ball for 35:24, compared to the Bolts 24:36. Michael Onwenu (RT), Shaq Mason (RG), David Andrews (C) and Ted Karras (LG) took 100 percent of the Pats offensive snaps. Left tackle Isaiah Wynn was on the field for 72 snaps, with Justin Herron playing brief fill-in duty. The reserve swing tackle entered the game to relieve Wynn, who was tending to an injury. Herron committed a holding penalty that erased a 28-yard touchdown by Damien Harris. When Wynn returned, he also committed a holding penalty, which erased another 23-yard Harris run. While the offensive line had an overall solid day, the Pats are fortunate that the i sues at left Jonathan Lucroy Jersey tackle were not more costly. Scroll to ContinueJakobi Meyers and Nelson Agholor were Mac Jones primary targets at the wide receiver position on Sunday, with Meyers seeing action on over 90 percent of the Pats offensive snaps. While Kendrick Bourne has seen his field time increase in recent weeks, his third-quarter fumble kept him relegated to the sidelines for much of the second half. It should be interesting to see if a strong week of practice is enough to earn Bourne a greater amount of playing time against Carolina. Or, will he be placed on Belichickian Double Secret Probation? Stay tuned. Damien Harris continues to settle into his role as New Englands feature back. Harris took a season-high 41 offensive snaps on Sunday, meaning that he has now played in 45.8% of the Patriots offensive snaps in 2021. Brandon Bolden was used Wade Davis Jersey a bit more sparingly in Week Eight )as opposed to his previous weeks outing against the New York Jets) taking 25 snaps, while rookie Rhamondre Stevenson was the third running back in the rotation with 12. The Pats balanced the tight end sheet once again, with Hunter Henry seeing 50 snaps, and Jonnu Smith taking 49. As a pair, the tight-endage tandem compiled three catches for 46 yards; with Henry used primarily as a route-runner, and Smith making plays with the ball in his hands.Defensive SnapsOn Sunday, the Patriots took a total of 60 snaps on defense:Despite some questions surrounding his availability earlier in the week (due to an abdomen injury), Devin McCourty was present on the field for all 60 snaps on Sunday, the only Patriot to do so. Safety Adrian Phillips continues to make his presence felt, getting on-field action in 92 percent of the Pats defensive snaps. The former Bolt finished the day with three total tackles (1 solo) and two interceptions, one of which he returned for a pick-six. CB Myles Bryant (38) stepping up in slotDefensive lineman Christian Barmore led all defensive linemen for the second week in a row. Barmore has continued to see an increase in his role with solid play against both the run and the pa s. Barmore maintained a near-constant presence in the Chargers offensive backfield, getting consistent pre sure on Charlie Blackmon Jersey Herbert. His ability to push the pocket has made him emerge as one of the most valued defenders in the Pats arsenal. Still, linebacker Matt Judon has become the most fearsome of New Englands defenders in the front seven. The 29-year-old took 90 percent of the Pats defensive snaps on Sunday, and clearly made his presence felt. Per Pro Football Focus, Judon finished the day with two sacks, eight hurries, and ten quarterback pre sures.