Stevan Ridley

Every week, we present a list of the Patriots’ “offensive touches,” a running tally of which one of the offensive skill position players is getting the most looks. Like our weekly look at targets, it can occasionally be an inexact stat, but it remains a good barometer of how confident the coaches (and quarterback) are when it comes to the skill position players at their disposal. Here’s a breakdown of the New England offense for the 2012 postseason:

RB Stevan Ridley: 34 (33 rushes, 1 catch), 3 negative runs
RB Shane Vereen: 18 (11 rushes, 7 catches), 1 negative runs
WR Wes Welker: 16 (0 rushes, 16 catches)
TE Aaron Hernandez: 16 (1 rush, 15 catches)
WR Brandon Lloyd: 12 (0 rushes, 12 catches)
RB Danny Woodhead: 5 (4 rushes, 1 catch)
QB Tom Brady: 3 (3 rushes), 1 sack, 1 kneel down
WR Deion Branch: 2 (0 rushes, 2 catches)
TOTAL: 106 touches (52 rushes, 54 catches), 4 negative plays, plus 1 sack and 1 kneel down

By position:
Running back: 57 touches (48 rushes, 9 catches), 4 negative runs
Wide receiver: 30 touches (0 rushes, 30 catches)
Tight end: 16 touches (1 rush, 15 catches)
Quarterback: 3 (3 rushes)

Here’s a look at how the offensive opportunities broke down over the course of the 2012 regular season.