One aspect that stands out from the Patriots' five-game winning streak is that different players are stepping up to get the job done each week. One of the prime examples Sunday was receiver Brandon Tate.
Here is a look at the snap counts for the top three receivers since the Deion Branch/Randy Moss trades:
Welker: 62/45/44
Branch: 54/43/24
B. Tate: 35/24/38
By looking at the numbers vertically, it shows how Tate was playing mostly behind Wes Welker and Branch in wins over the Ravens and Chargers. He wasn't a big part of the attack in those wins.
But with Branch slowed by a hamstring injury Sunday, Tate delivered with the extended opportunity.
He's still bothered by the hamstring and Tate was a bigger factor this past week as a result. Tate's biggest play came on a bit of a broken play, too, but it still showed off his skills. Much like their running backs, you just don't know who is going to get the targets at WR now.
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