Run the freakin' ball!!

[OCinBuffalo]

I'm inclined to agree with the sentiment of the OP...sorta. I don't know why we would not consider using a top weapon at least 1 time in 3 downs.

 

Perhaps Fitz needs a game where he only has to focus on a few things, does them well, and gains some confidence?

But, does the intentionally lightened workload mess with his head worse?

 

One thing is certain: whatever the throwing adjustments are...they are not working. Perhaps its time to let that go for a while, and tell him to just go out there, throw, and not think of anything?

 

In all cases, we could have done A LOT WORSE at the QB position this week. There are plenty of "elite" QBs that had a bad-terrible game today. It's one thing to be critical of Fitz, but it's quite another to judge him in a vacuum, when you have guys like Aaron Rodgers finding a way to lose to the Colts.

 

Or, since Mark Sanchez beat the hell out of the Colts today...does that make Sanchez >>> Rodgers?

[Kelly the Dog]

A 2-3 yard gain is not so bad when you consider letting Fitz throw it all over and he can't hit anyone past 10 yards. Then considering Spiller has a 7.6 YPC I would think it would be imperative to hand the ball off every chance you can!

 

Why run 4-5 WR empty backfield sets when you only have one good WR? Plus, taking either Jackson or Spiller off the field for the Bills 3rd- 4th -5th WR is moronic, even if one is playing WR.

The point is only that he wouldnt be averaging 7.6 yards a carry if he was running against stacked defenses. You guys really seem to think that Chan Gailey is an absolute moron who knows nothing about offensive football. Again, I thought Gailey made some terrible calls. But it's abundantly clear to me that this team does what it does on the ground because of the spread offense and what the defense shows and allows. Gailey is pretty straight forward about it and says it all the time and said it today.

[mrags]

 

 

Look, Fitz has not been playing well. He didn't have a good game today. But this talk is stupidly exaggerated in another direction. Whether or not Fitz could hit a $2 hooker is a moot point - that doesn't move the chains in the NFL. 6 players caught 18 passes and Fitz was the one who threw them. A bunch of "name" QB had worse weeks than Fitz including Ryan, Schaub (whom I really like, but he looked BAAaaaaad tonight, and I don't mean that in a good way), I don't think most of us really watch other teams play with as critical an eye. There are a whole bunch of "name" guys who rank lower than Fitz for completion percentage right now, including Cutler, Freeman, Sanchez and yes, Luck - and they didn't wind up there by hitting wide open receivers on every pass play. (For the comprehension challenged, let me help: this isn't to say Fitz is playing well. This is to say that the kind of talk to be read in mrags and other posts is wildly exaggerated, and represents lack of awareness of how other non-elite QB on other teams are performing this year).

 

That said, I "get it" that Chan likes to use the pass to open up running lanes, and after a while that didn't work. But even Green Bay unveiled a power run game, and we showed that we had one against KC. Isn't that worth a try, Chan? Fear the Beard has it right - Chan looks at Fitz and visualizes Tom Brady. Note to Chan: not even close, even in a good year on a good day.

I agree that I may be a little overboard and exagerrated at times. By you basically killed my post, and then Agreed with me. In the end, it doesn't change the fact that Chan is pass happy, Futz sucks and isn't the kind of QB to handle Chans offense, and the RBs we have on this team are more than capable of picking up more carries. Everyone can see that Fitz isn't the answer. Why bother arguing about this crap anymore.

[bowery4]

Wait, there are 2 dollar hookers?

Up until last week, I was a Fitz supporter, the long int and the rest of the game ruined it for me, I supported him starting since the end of season Colts snow game. No more, sorry BFLO coaches just ruin serviceable guys somehow or the other. I don't know how but that is the history.

Anyone can see that Fitz should not be throwing the ball out of an empty backfield on 3rd and 2, week in and week out. I would think Brad Smith should not throw a bomb attempting to get 7 points when running the ball eats clock and gains more yardage per net.

If Chan can't see those things (and apparently he can't) I am losing confidence in his ability more so than Fitz's, who I would rather see replaced by Thigpen after last week and this (since TJax is never going to get the reps, he needs and WTF is that anyway Chan?). He has just lost all ability, what did coach Lee do to him? He very clearly needs to sit.

[mrags]

 

The point is only that he wouldnt be averaging 7.6 yards a carry if he was running against stacked defenses. You guys really seem to think that Chan Gailey is an absolute moron who knows nothing about offensive football. Again, I thought Gailey made some terrible calls. But it's abundantly clear to me that this team does what it does on the ground because of the spread offense and what the defense shows and allows. Gailey is pretty straight forward about it and says it all the time and said it today.

At the end of the day, Gailey just needs to buck up and say... Ya know what, my RBs are Thoroughbreads, and I'm going to make other teams stop them because my QB sucks.

 

Even if what you say is true that we are able to do on the ground because of our spread offense. Why does that mean we can't run it more out of the spread?

 

I'm sick of watching 3rd and 3s and were on the field, 5 wide with no RB in the backfield. we don't even give the illusion that were going to run the ball. It's not hard to figure out it's a pass when there's no RB in there.

 

Just saying.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

I agree that I may be a little overboard and exagerrated at times. By you basically killed my post, and then Agreed with me. In the end, it doesn't change the fact that Chan is pass happy, Futz sucks and isn't the kind of QB to handle Chans offense, and the RBs we have on this team are more than capable of picking up more carries. Everyone can see that Fitz isn't the answer. Why bother arguing about this crap anymore.

 

Well, to me the point is, to make productive change you need to start by accurately assessing the situation. If Fitz is this hopeless, can't-hit-the-broadside-of-the-barn, should-never-be-trusted-to-pass not-NFL-quality QB many are posting about, the season is pretty well tanked because I think it's pretty clear if we had someone better on the bench, they'd be starting already.

 

On the other hand, if Fitz is what he is - a middle-of-the-pack QB capable of making some good throws, reading the D, and calling the right OL protections, it seems feasible that we could turn things around and win THIS SEASON by calling a different style of offense. Chan is capable of calling a run-first offense. He did it successfully in Dallas when managing an aging Aikman. He did it against KC.

 

I guess it's the difference between being hopeless and hopeful. Though my hope is based upon Nix sitting Chan down for "A Talk". I don't think it's coincidence that Nix was quoted in the media about how the 49ers turned Alex Smith around by implementing a run-first offense and using him to manage the game with high-percentage passes, and Chan pulled out a power run game next week vs KC.

 

I do completely agree with your point in another post - I too am sick of watching 3rd and 3 with an empty backfield. We have a good pass-catching TE who is coming along nicely as a blocker this year, and two good pass-catching RBs. Even Corey Mac has caught a couple. Point is, we could line up 2 RB or 1 RB and 1 FB, 2 TE, and still have a credible passing attack along with a capable running attack.

Edited October 15, 2012 by Hopeful

[thewildrabbit]

The point is only that he wouldnt be averaging 7.6 yards a carry if he was running against stacked defenses. You guys really seem to think that Chan Gailey is an absolute moron who knows nothing about offensive football. Again, I thought Gailey made some terrible calls. But it's abundantly clear to me that this team does what it does on the ground because of the spread offense and what the defense shows and allows. Gailey is pretty straight forward about it and says it all the time and said it today.

The way you make it sound its as if Gailey is perfectly competent play caller depending on the given situation in the run game. I disagree!

 

Considering the size of the current players, and the top draft picks on that Bills O line when fully healthy they should be one of the top run blocking offensive lines in and out of closed formations, they aren't. So Gailey uses the spread to run from more then he does play action with a closed formation.

 

Granted the result is big gains when the safeties are back. But I'll go back to my original point, Gailey should be running Fred Jackson when the defense stacks the box over Spiller because Fred is more elusive, and usually breaks that first tackle. More 2 back sets rather then empty backfield sets. Then when the defense moves up and stacks the box then go to Freddy or the TE or WR,and throw just over the LBers & safeties.

 

NFN but the Bills used the spread formation back in Jim Kelly's day along with Thurman Thomas and they ran more then they threw it most years. They ran to setup the pass. The Bills should be running the ball more period! More play action, more toss sweeps, more drive blocking. Putting the ball in the hands of the better play makers just makes more sense then letting a sub par QB throw all game long.

 

Gailey built the offense around a less then stellar QB, and then calls plays like he has Tom Brady behind center. The point is Gailey isn't very smart for calling empty backfield sets like he has a top QB and is daring the opposing defense to stop the pass.