Snap counts: Floyd sees only 39 percent on defense

We've counted the points. Let's count the snaps and see what there is to learn from Sunday's 20-9 loss at New Orleans:

Defensive snaps: 71. 100 percent: Free safety Harrison Smith, strong safety Robert Blanton, cornerback Captain Munnerlyn.

Offensive snaps: 56. 100 percent: Left tackle Matt Kalil, left guard Charlie Johnson, center John Sullivan, right tackle Phil Loadholt.

Team-high snaps: Tie: Blanton (78, including seven on special teams), Smith (78, including seven on special teams).

Defensive line: Seven defensive linemen played between 25 percent (Corey Wootton, 18 snaps) and 87 percent (Everson Griffen, 62). Brian Robison (61 snaps/86 percent), Linval Joseph (52/73), Shamar Stephen (36/51), Sharrif Floyd (28/39) and Tom Johnson (23/32) followed. The Vikings started the game in the nickel, so Johnson got the start over Floyd. Floyd's season-low snap total shows that the shoulder he banged up in the opener could be bothering him. His snap counts have fallen from 63 percent to 57 percent to 39 percent. Meanwhile, Stephen's snap count was a season-high by far. Stephen is growing into a role that has him able to play either the nose or the three-technique.

Linebackers: Rookie Anthony Barr played 69 snaps (98 percent) and has missed only 10 of 204 snaps this season. That's a testament to his versatility and where he ranks when coach Mike Zimmer is drawing up game plans. Chad Greenway played 57 snaps, which is incredible because some of them came with not only the broken hand that he already had, but also a broken rib that he suffered in the game. Middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley continues to hover right around 50 percent with 34 snaps on Sunday. Gerald Hodges (18 snaps/25 percent) and Audie Cole (3/4) followed. If Greenway doesn't practice this week, which seems like a probability, his streak of 90 consecutive starts — the active leader among NFL linebackers — seems to be in danger.

Defensive backs: The Vikings have had 204 defensive snaps in three games. Strong safety Robert Blanton has played all of them. Harrison Smith and Captain Munnerlyn also played all 71 snaps on Sunday. Cornerbacks Xavier Rhodes (70 snaps/99 percent), Josh Robinson (33/46) and Jabari Price (4/6) followed. Robinson, the No. 3 corner, played 58 percent of the snaps in the season opener at St. Louis and had the best game of his career. He played 38 percent last week when the Patriots stuck with their running game. Sunday, he was bothered another hamstring issue. With Atlanta, Green Bay and the Lions coming up the next three weeks, now is not the time to lose one of the top three corners.

Quarterbacks: Teddy Bridgewater played 40 snaps (71) percent after Matt Cassel (16/29) left with a broken left foot. No. 3 quarterback Christian Ponder was inactive. Ponder, obviously, will be the No. 2 for quite some time. The Vikings will be searching for a new No. 3.

Running backs/fullbacks: Matt Asiata played 40 snaps (71) percent while offensive coordinator Norv Turner continued to take it slow with rookie third-round draft pick Jerick McKinnon, who played only 16 snaps (29 percent). Fullback Jerome Felton also continues to see little action. He played 13 snaps (23 percent). Of the team's 181 offensive snaps this year, Felton has played only 36 snaps (19.8 percent).

Receivers/tight ends: We've deduced that Turner understands that Cordarrelle Patterson is a special player worthy of considerable playing time. (Hey, don't smirk. That was a problem this time a year ago). Patterson played 50 snaps (89 percent) and has now played 76 percent, 91 percent and 89 percent of the snaps in the first three games. Greg Jennings (47 snaps/84 percent), Kyle Rudolph (46/82), Rhett Ellison (23/41), Jarius Wright (23/41), Adam Thielen (11/20) and MarQuies Gray (11/20) followed. Rudolph could be missing a significant portion of the season for the second straight year if it's determined that he needs surgery for a sports hernia. Last year, he missed eight games because of a broken foot. Ellison is a workmanlike tight end and special teamer, but not who you think of when people say No. 1 tight end. Gray at least knows the offense from having played in it in Cleveland last season.