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CJ Spiller health and performance thread


rayray808

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So the Bills giving up stats in run defense doesn't mean anything (they're fine), but a stat makes them look good......well, THAT obviously means something. They are 3-5 and heading for their 13 th straight losing season. That's the only stat that means anything.

 

When they run, they can't stop the pass. When they stop the run, they go 3 and out. When it all looks like it's going well, they give up huge special teams plays. The Bills just aren't there yet. They haven't put it all together. But I must admit, they are watchable.

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Please explain to me how a RB who has missed one game in the last 3 seasons and only 3 over his career is injury prone. Amazing...the guy gets a high ankle sprain on a big hit in the leg and all of a sudden he's injury prone. Fred has been hurt waaaaaaaaay more than CJ and missed a LOT more games than him, but CJ is labeled injury prone. Only on this board does that make sense

Never said he was injury prone. Don't put words in my mouth. It sounds like you're pushing a hardon against some other posters. Keep me out of it.

 

I suppose the argument/opinion is that CJ is the racehorse that runs one race per week whereas Freddie is the workhorse who labors in the field for hours each day. The correlation being that Fred ran 70% of the plays for the last three years and CJ used sparingly (less than we wanted be it he was winded or whatever Chan suggested). With that in mind, Fred would be injured more often because he was exposed to contact more often. Just my opinion.

This.

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Never said he was injury prone. Don't put words in my mouth. It sounds like you're pushing a hardon against some other posters. Keep me out of it.

 

 

This.

 

:sick: (Not that there's anything wrong with that).

 

When CJ Spiller is healthy and not just running up the middle but getting out in space, he is the leading yards per carry guy in franchise history. 5.2. Better than OJ and Thurman Thomas. He is a very good player that hopefully is getting healthy and the team is watching tape from last year to learn how to properly use him.

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I do think they need to get him in space more often, if they can do that he'll do much better.

 

Doesn't anyone see the cliche'd silliness of this oft-repeated statement?

 

Essentially what it says is get him away from tacklers and he'll be fine. Isn't that the goal on every play, find the open guy or create big enough holes, the bigger the better, so that players have space.

 

All players are better in space. I can't think of one that when he had space could routinely do less and gain fewer yards than in traffic.

 

So in essence, Spiller's great when he's surrounded by green. Great.

 

Here's the bottom line, he wasn't the best rusher at Clemson, he sucked as a rookie and soph here, he had one big freak season that won't ever be repeated.

 

Spiller was a player that got more mileage from his returns at Clemson that spilled over in his media clippings to areas where it never should have spilled over, namely his running game. Even his receiving game where he was better at Clemson, was largely at the expense of the bad teams on their schedule, like GA Tech that year.

 

He hit 1,000 yards rushing only once in four years and then only courtesy of an extra ACC championship game against a terrible GA Tech defense, not the regular schedule.

 

He's not a full-time 3-down RB, he's a role player that had fortunate circumstances last year, just like many other RBs that peak and have a great season or two but cannot seem to duplicate that level of success with anything even approaching regular consistency.

 

For a team to plan around him as something he isn't says a lot about the understanding of Spiller by that team. Then again, this team hasn't exactly been blessed with brains in the front office when someone named Polian hasn't been at the top.

Edited by TaskersGhost
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Bills not spooked by Spiller's ankle: http://www.wgr550.com/Bills-not-spooked-by-Spiller-s-ankle/17660251

 

With a full week to rest his injured ankle, it seems like that was all that was needed to do the trick for Buffalo Bills running back C.J. Spiller.

 

"I feel good about C.J. playing," head coach Doug Marrone declared after Thursday's practice. "And talking with him, without any setbacks we feel he'll be ready to go."

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we are rushing him back... plain and simple.

 

we all know Spiller is telling the staff/doctors what they need to hear so that he can go out there and help this team. the "freddy" mentality has rubbed off on this kid and he wants to bleed out there with his team mates. the adult in this situation, aka the coach, needs to be the mature one here and recognize Spiller's heart, but focus on healing his injured ankle.

 

coach rayray808 would sit him this week, ease him in with some carries against Pitt, and then "give him the ball until he throws up" against the Jets.

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we are rushing him back... plain and simple.

 

we all know Spiller is telling the staff/doctors what they need to hear so that he can go out there and help this team. the "freddy" mentality has rubbed off on this kid and he wants to bleed out there with his team mates. the adult in this situation, aka the coach, needs to be the mature one here and recognize Spiller's heart, but focus on healing his injured ankle.

 

coach rayray808 would sit him this week, ease him in with some carries against Pitt, and then "give him the ball until he throws up" against the Jets.

 

Play him. Or don't. But don't do it because you are saving his precious talent.

 

And don't be shy about drafting a high upside RB or two from round 5 thru 7 in the next couple drafts. RB's are a dime-a-dozen. Ones who run as fast as CJ might be harder to find, but when it comes to RB's there are many ways to be a successful one without having to have sub 4.3 speed. And if you can't draft one you may just find a Reggie Bush in free agency that can give you a fair amount of big play production for peanuts. It's just not a position worth preserving, use them up and get another. The Bills are in year 4 of the CJ experiment and so far have just 1 season of consistent performances to show for it.

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Play him. Or don't. But don't do it because you are saving his precious talent.

 

And don't be shy about drafting a high upside RB or two from round 5 thru 7 in the next couple drafts. RB's are a dime-a-dozen. Ones who run as fast as CJ might be harder to find, but when it comes to RB's there are many ways to be a successful one without having to have sub 4.3 speed. And if you can't draft one you may just find a Reggie Bush in free agency that can give you a fair amount of big play production for peanuts. It's just not a position worth preserving, use them up and get another. The Bills are in year 4 of the CJ experiment and so far have just 1 season of consistent performances to show for it.

 

I agree. A good running game is key in the NFL still, but a "great" running game isn't. Just ask the Vikings.

 

Besides how many teams are in this league that have bad RB's? Giants/Jags(not really)/Oakland/Cardinals? I don't even know if they can be considered bad. The mercenary and "use em til their done" mentality has existed for RB's for a reason. It's because they are replaceable.

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Play him. Or don't. But don't do it because you are saving his precious talent.

 

And don't be shy about drafting a high upside RB or two from round 5 thru 7 in the next couple drafts. RB's are a dime-a-dozen. Ones who run as fast as CJ might be harder to find, but when it comes to RB's there are many ways to be a successful one without having to have sub 4.3 speed. And if you can't draft one you may just find a Reggie Bush in free agency that can give you a fair amount of big play production for peanuts. It's just not a position worth preserving, use them up and get another. The Bills are in year 4 of the CJ experiment and so far have just 1 season of consistent performances to show for it.

Very true. The rule changes this season have decreased the value of running backs even more. Correct me if I am wrong, but I think that now they are banned from leading with their helmets. Earl Campbell and John Riggins would not be too pleased. They would absolutely punish tacklers.

In this sense, one could make a case that Spiller does fit this modern game, and he is very good. Imo, the question is (and always was) whether or not he can be an every down back, or is he more of a situational player?

 

Either way, it will be interesting to see what the front office does if or when he hits free agency. They wouldn't pay Levitre, who never missed a game. How much will they offer Spiller?

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Play him. Or don't. But don't do it because you are saving his precious talent.

 

And don't be shy about drafting a high upside RB or two from round 5 thru 7 in the next couple drafts. RB's are a dime-a-dozen. Ones who run as fast as CJ might be harder to find, but when it comes to RB's there are many ways to be a successful one without having to have sub 4.3 speed. And if you can't draft one you may just find a Reggie Bush in free agency that can give you a fair amount of big play production for peanuts. It's just not a position worth preserving, use them up and get another. The Bills are in year 4 of the CJ experiment and so far have just 1 season of consistent performances to show for it.

 

One year with a yards per carry the league hasn't seen since Jim Brown was playing against defensive linemen who were smaller than high. 1,200 yards & 6 ypc & now a high ankle sprain & 4 ypc. Spiller sucks.

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My 2 cents ,

Spiller gets in the hole almost too quick not giving blocks time to setup. It appears he makes up his mind too early on where he is going instead of just being patient on a block. I have noticed on numerous occasions where he has missed cutback lanes or a trap block has not fully developed before he is trying to get through. Fred reminds me of Thurman a bit where he will get in behind a lineman waiting for the block or crease to form then sneeks through or cuts back.

I agree and have been saying this since the first game. Edited by BillnutinHouston
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This game will be interesting for Spiller. Having looked at some info, having done some homework the Chiefs run defense is not as good as their pass defense. Their YPG with the rush are 10th in the league vs. 4th in pass. Considering they have won all their games you'd think they'd not be as good against the pass as most teams play catch up. However, I do not think those stats are an indicator of what KC brings to the table against the run. They are solid. Their triangle run support is pretty good. We all know DeVito from NY and add him with Poe and Jackson they have a DL that can fill space and close gaps. They're not superstars but they are solid in their assignments and let the LB's fill the lanes. Their ILB's are good enough to not weaken the run support up the middle but with the 3-4 the gaps will either come or go as quickly as CJ can find them. We know Berry, everyone should. He's solid on run support. A hammer at SS. FS is not going to concern me because a CJ/FS matchup is one that CJ can win most times, regardless who it is (Kendrick Lewis).

 

The key to this game will be CJ's vision and his ability to hit the breaking holes. This will be a slow to develop game with regard to the running lanes since there is a lot of action on the KC front but if CJ is going to make yards up the middle he is going to have to ease himself to the line.

 

Their OLB's are good - Houston and Hali - but they often over penetrate which makes me think CJ is going to try to bounce it outside early in the run and often. I worry for this because that is not what he needs to be doing. If, I'd say he is 70%, CJ will be able to rack up 60-70 yards.

 

Balancing this out against the Chiefs I do not definitively know if CJ would be a game changer. I believe he could help us a lot, but Choice has been playing very well though less effective then a healthy Spiller. For that matter I would not over use Spiller in hopes that he will be 100% soon and by the time EJ is back to open up the playbook more. I am very concerned that Hackett does not have Spiller more involved in the passing game and demand this be changed once CJ is healthy and EJ is back.

 

what is a high ankle sprain? Aren't they all? I have never heard of a low ankle sprain

God I hope you never get one. It's not fun. I found this:

 

http://michaelzweifel.blogspot.com/2013/04/anatomy-lesson-foot-and-ankle.html

 

I had a lateral sprain being stupid jumping off a porch about 5 years ago. My entire ankle was purple from bruising and I could barely move my foot laterally to balance myself. I had nearly full range of motion vertically - as in I could pick my toes up and down. It scored me major points at the pool party the next day and got me some time with a chick who looked like a cross of Sarah Silverman and Jennifer Love Hewitt...with abs.

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First - Spiller is only being held back by his ankle. Otherwise he's fine regardless of the "scheme". Seems conspiracy theorists are always looking for another reason/answer. It's not Hackett. Let's give him a fair shot (Healthy starting QB + 2 Healthy RB's + 2 Healthy Receivers), then if we fall all over ourselves we can start to look at scheme.

 

Marrone reported Lawson and Spiller should be "good to go" on Hose's morning show.

 

What I'm more interested in is how the TEAM will do. We played KC the last two years - there - and killed them both times. It'll be interesting to see if we can do it again, at home. I like our chances and like how Marrone is playing the starting QB close to the vest. If we can score 3 TD's, I like our chances. KC has only played teams with losing records and no one as physical as Buffalo. I was nervous about facing the Saints last week. I can't wait to play the Chiefs Sunday - snow showers & 38 degrees are forecasted!

 

Go Bills!!!

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