49ers snaps count vs. Panthers, Week 1: George Kittle gets big snaps, defensive line features heavy rotation

The San Francisco 49ers made their 2017 debut on Sunday, and it was not a pretty performance. The 49ers lost 23-3 thanks to a poor showing by the offensive line, undisciplined play leading to penalties, and some bad decisions on both sides of the ball.

That being said, the first game gives us our first significant benchmark in assessing where this thing is going. With that in mind, it’s time for a look at the 49ers Week 1 snap count against the Carolina Panthers. I’ve included a table below, and you can also check out the game book PDF.

The 49ers entered the game with tight end George Kittle listed as questionable with a hamstring injury. He seemed entirely good to go, playing 54 snaps (95 percent of offensive snaps), which was the most of anybody not playing quarterback or on the offensive line. The 49ers spent most of their time in one-tight end formations, with Garrett Celek playing 14 snaps, and Logan Paulsen only getting three snaps. Given the lack of a significant ground game (15 total rushes by the team), it is not surprising Celek and Paulsen saw little time in the game.

The same might hold true for Kyle Juszczyk, who only appeared in 19 snaps. He was used in a variety of ways, but it was still limited, with the 49ers spending a lot of time in one-back sets. They did get some rotation at running back, with Matt Breida getting in for 12 snaps.

On the defensive side of the ball, we saw the expected significant rotation on the defensive line. The line rotation included the following (Eli Harold appeared to play no snaps as a nickel end):

DeForest Buckner: 53 snaps (79 percent)
Arik Armstead: 51 snaps (76 percent)
Solomon Thomas: 43 snaps (64 percent)
Earl Mitchell: 38 snaps (57 percent)
Tank Carradine: 31 snaps (46 percent)
Elvis Dumervil: 16 snaps (24 percent)
Xavier Cooper: 14 snaps (21 percent)

Here’s the full snap count for Week 1.