Why does Spiller get removed from goal-line situations?

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

At the goaline all defenders are with 5-10 yards. Speed guys run for the pilon and get strung outside. I've def seen it with CJ.

 

Fred has shown not only power but a slippery shifty running style with a nose for the goal line.

 

He is hands down the right guy for short yardage and goaline situations.

 

Not sure what two rb's buys you in the red zone, clearly Hackett feels that way too.

 

 

[thewildrabbit]

He's not a goalline back unless you use him as a pass option. Better off with Jackson, Choice, or Summers.

I don't disagree, but I think he should be included as a pass option.

 

Realistically, no options should be off the table, and your best weapons shouldn't be off the table.

 

"The book" is only getting us so far, IMO. Good teams are hard to beat because they can kill you in so many ways. I'd like to see the Bills in that company.

I would disagree with that if you run the spread formation at the goal line rather then an elephant offense or closed set with TE's & FB in to block. Spiller works best in space.

[Bufcomments]

Honest football question here and I'd love to hear some rationale from people who know better.

 

I understand that the book says that you feed Freddie at the line in a short yardage situation.

 

But what are you giving up by having a two-back set down there? Not getting to have TJ Graham on the field?

 

Please, someone explain to me why Gailey and now Marrone like to take one of our finest weapons off of the field in the red zone.

 

Good question, good post but without reading the other posts.....

 

First CJ is not 100 percent yet, that may be the most important thing even tho the week off clearly helped him.

 

Second , I think Fred is a better at finding those small holes to run through than CJ.

 

But I think that they need to spread teams out on the goal line. I would like to see all our best weapons on the field when we get close to scoring.

 

We can still run out of a spread set. Like to see us use Stevie , Woods, Chandler, CJ and Fred on the field at the same time when we get deep in the red zone more often. This way you can kick out one of the backs into the slot and now you have match up problems for the Defense.

 

There is no way I want Graham out there in the red zone.

[RuntheDamnBall]

It seems like when we get down on the goal line we don't have goal line plays to go to. Other teams do.

 

The bolded one you suggest is one of my favorite goal line plays. Pitch it out to the speedster (CJ) and let him race everyone to the pylon. It's hard to imagine how that wouldn't work. Or the one where you fake a handoff and the TE runs behind the line and curves out into the EZ often uncovered because he gets lost? Why can't we run that? Or bunch everyone in. Fake the handoff and the TE blocks first, maybe falls down, and then sneaks into the EZ often uncovered?

 

Getting into an empty backfield set in the shotgun with 4 or 5 WRs is probably the dumbest thing you can do. There's not much room and 4 or 5 WRs are in the EZ along with 5 or 6 DBs.

 

Fake the dive to Fred and pitch it out to CJ who then races everyone to the plyon. Who do you think wins?

This is EXACTLY what I'm walking about.

[Captain Caveman]

Yesterday this thread got me thinking about our lack of a good blocking / catching FB option. Hopefully Rodriguez can add some of that.