FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- When second-year linebacker Elandon Roberts was made inactive for Sunday’s game against the Falcons with an ankle injury, it opened the door for veteran David Harris to return to the New England Patriots' game-day roster.

The next hurdle for Harris was to break into the mix and get some playing time, which didn’t take long. The Falcons opened the game with two backs, a tight end and two receivers, so the Patriots countered with their 4-3 base defense and made Harris one of the three linebackers.

By game’s end, Harris had played 19 snaps, a total that was boosted because Dont'a Hightower left with a shoulder injury and didn’t return.

“David gave us some plays,” coach Bill Belichick noted. “It’s good to have him there.”

After film review Monday morning, Belichick added, "He did all the right things that we would want him to do from an assignment standpoint. He gave us some good plays, he was in on a few plays. He handled the communication and the front well. We'll see if we can build on it."

Harris’ most extended playing time of the season provides the springboard for this week’s snap-count analysis, as the defense played a season-low 57 snaps.

Offense: 74

Defense: 57

David Harris was able to make an impact against the Falcons after being a healthy scratch last week. AP Photo/Duane Burleson

LINEBACKER

Kyle Van Noy -- 52

Dont'a Hightower -- 34

David Harris -- 19

Harris was a healthy scratch last week against the Jets and was behind Marquis Flowers on the depth chart in past weeks, so this is a notable jump for him. With Shea McClellin eligible to come off injured reserve for the Nov. 12 game in Denver, Harris’ contributions reflect that he has value to the team.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

Adam Butler -- 28

Lawrence Guy -- 26

Alan Branch -- 23

Malcom Brown -- 16

Brown left the game in the third quarter with an ankle injury and was limping/hobbling noticeably. It wouldn’t be a surprise if it keeps him out of Sunday’s game against the surging Chargers, with part of the consideration being that the next week is a bye and would allow extra rest.

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DEFENSIVE END

Deatrich Wise Jr. -- 45

Cassius Marsh -- 44

Trey Flowers -- 40

It’s been a big two-week stretch for Wise, who played a season-high 59 snaps against the Jets and then led the way among defensive ends with 45 against the Falcons. The rookie from Arkansas is playing more and more in the base defense rather than simply as a pass-rusher in sub packages.

CONERBACK

Malcolm Butler -- 57

Johnson Bademosi -- 55

Jonathan Jones -- 19

Butler is up to 95.8 percent playing time on the season, while Bademosi’s physical play and steady tackling have shown up. Jones had competitive coverage in some contested situations. This group was able to rise up to the challenge.

SAFETY

Devin McCourty -- 57

Patrick Chung -- 55

Duron Harmon -- 50

Jordan Richards -- 6

Chung didn’t start, as Richards opened the game in his place in the base defense. McCourty leads the defense with 99.8 percent of the defensive snaps played this season.

RUNNING BACK

Dion Lewis -- 26

James White -- 23

Mike Gillislee -- 13

Rex Burkhead -- 13

Fanatsy owners take note: Lewis has taken over as the top option for the last two weeks, as he’s had good ball security and has shown the knack for ripping off a big run. Burkhead looked fresh in limited opportunities in his first action since injuring his ribs Sept. 17.

WIDE RECEIVER

Brandin Cooks -- 70

Chris Hogan -- 59

Danny Amendola -- 38

Phillip Dorsett -- 8

Matthew Slater -- 3

Hogan also contributed on the kickoff return and kickoff coverage units, which is why Cooks elevated to the No. 1 spot and stayed on the field in the rare times the team wanted just one receiver. On NBC’s broadcast, play-by-play man Al Michaels noted that Hogan had lost some teeth in a collision in practice last week.

TIGHT END

Rob Gronkowski -- 71

Dwayne Allen -- 20

Jacob Hollister -- 1

The one snap Hollister played came at the goal line when the offense was in its power package (Gillislee was stopped for a loss of 2 yards). Gronkowski described his lead-blocking effort on Cooks’ 11-yard touchdown this way: “Just make a little move on the D-end, like I’m going inside, I run around and just go get the outside guy, go block him. What’s funny is Cooks is a lot faster than me. He caught right up to me and was like hiding behind me. I heard him at like the 2-yard line and he was like, ‘Go Rob, go!’ I had the little block and he made it into the end zone, so it was a great play by him.”

FULLBACK

James Develin -- 24

This ties a season-high for the lead blocker, who brings a physical edge to the attack.

OFFENSIVE LINE

LT Nate Solder -- 74

LG Joe Thuney -- 74

C David Andrews -- 74

RG Shaq Mason -- 74

RT Marcus Cannon -- 74

For the second week in a row, this group helped create space in the running game.

QUARTERBACK

Tom Brady -- 74

His final three snaps were kneel-downs, which is the type of reward any quarterback wants.