GG Posted October 7, 2005 Posted October 7, 2005 What are people basing their opinion that Willis is underutilized on? Is it based that the total number of his carries is less than 25 carries per game on average? I'm guessing that a statistician would try to consider his carries & catches based on the proportion of his touches relative to the team's total plays. No? In a surprising revelation, look what we have: Willis touches the ball on 37.33% of Bills' total offensive plays. His rushes alone represent 34.67% of of Bills' total offensive plays. Anyone care to guess where those stats would rank him in the league? Mind you, since the topic is that he's underutilized, the target should be somewhere in the lower 50%.
VABills Posted October 7, 2005 Posted October 7, 2005 What are people basing their opinion that Willis is underutilized on? Is it based that the total number of his carries is less than 25 carries per game on average? I'm guessing that a statistician would try to consider his carries & catches based on the proportion of his touches relative to the team's total plays. No? In a surprising revelation, look what we have: Willis touches the ball on 37.33% of Bills' total offensive plays. His rushes alone represent 34.67% of of Bills' total offensive plays. Anyone care to guess where those stats would rank him in the league? Mind you, since the topic is that he's underutilized, the target should be somewhere in the lower 50%. 468911[/snapback] He should be touching the ball at least 43-45% of the plays. With the backs as a whole touching it closer to 55%. EDITED: Take Indy for example, a "passing team". Has run on 52% of their plays. Edge has touched the ball 46% of the plays. The running backs in total have 54% of their touches. Guess what I believe they are 4-0.
Gavin in Va Beach Posted October 7, 2005 Posted October 7, 2005 It's not just how often he touches the ball, but also when. They fail to give him the ball in many key situations that call for it. And this having him come off the field on every 3rd down schit is getting old. Let him play a full set of downs and put Shaud in on the 1st down if we get it. Something. Peewee coaches are calling better games that our befuddled bunch.
VABills Posted October 7, 2005 Posted October 7, 2005 Let me add one more thing. Of the 5 teams that have run on 50% of their plays or more, which are TB, ATL, Indy, SD and Wash the combined record is 16-3. With SD having two of those and are 2-2.
Crap Throwing Monkey Posted October 7, 2005 Posted October 7, 2005 What are people basing their opinion that Willis is underutilized on? Is it based that the total number of his carries is less than 25 carries per game on average? I'm guessing that a statistician would try to consider his carries & catches based on the proportion of his touches relative to the team's total plays. No? In a surprising revelation, look what we have: Willis touches the ball on 37.33% of Bills' total offensive plays. His rushes alone represent 34.67% of of Bills' total offensive plays. Anyone care to guess where those stats would rank him in the league? Mind you, since the topic is that he's underutilized, the target should be somewhere in the lower 50%. 468911[/snapback] I'm not going to suggest a number...I am, however, going to suggest that given the Bills' QB situation (particularly the need to protect Losman from himself and let him learn at a reasonable pace), "underutilized" carries with it a different standard than it would for an offense with more mature QBs such as the Colts' or Eagles'. "Average utilization" in this case is frankly underutilization.
GG Posted October 7, 2005 Author Posted October 7, 2005 He should be touching the ball at least 43-45% of the plays. With the backs as a whole touching it closer to 55%.EDITED: Take Indy for example, a "passing team". Has run on 52% of their plays. Edge has touched the ball 46% of the plays. The running backs in total have 54% of their touches. Guess what I believe they are 4-0. 468912[/snapback] Yeah, use the one guy who's way off the map in number of touches to prove a point that Willis is underutilized. The Atlanta duo also touches 45% of total offensive plays. Care to do the analysis of how many of those touches were in closing out games? How many other RB's account for > 40% of the offense? So the complaint is not that he's underutilized, but that he's not the top guy.
Frez Posted October 7, 2005 Posted October 7, 2005 I'll suggest a number. Willis needs to get the rock at least 20-25 times a game!
VABills Posted October 7, 2005 Posted October 7, 2005 I'm not going to suggest a number...I am, however, going to suggest that given the Bills' QB situation (particularly the need to protect Losman from himself and let him learn at a reasonable pace), "underutilized" carries with it a different standard than it would for an offense with more mature QBs such as the Colts' or Eagles'. "Average utilization" in this case is frankly underutilization. 468923[/snapback] Read my post above boy. Even !@#$ing Indy with probably the best QB in the game is working their RB;s over 50% of the plays and their stud 46% of their plays.
Crap Throwing Monkey Posted October 7, 2005 Posted October 7, 2005 Read my post above boy. Even !@#$ing Indy with probably the best QB in the game is working their RB;s over 50% of the plays and their stud 46% of their plays. 468931[/snapback] I read your post, ya dumb hobbit. Mine had nothing to do with yours; I was merely pointing out that the standard should be different (i.e. higher) for the Bills.
GG Posted October 7, 2005 Author Posted October 7, 2005 "Average utilization" in this case is frankly underutilization. 468923[/snapback] But he's not average. He's easily in the top 10.
VABills Posted October 7, 2005 Posted October 7, 2005 Yeah, use the one guy who's way off the map in number of touches to prove a point that Willis is underutilized. The Atlanta duo also touches 45% of total offensive plays. Care to do the analysis of how many of those touches were in closing out games? How many other RB's account for > 40% of the offense? So the complaint is not that he's underutilized, but that he's not the top guy. 468927[/snapback] If I have time, I can try to go through some others. But you failed to address the fact that the top 5 running teams are 16-3.
Crap Throwing Monkey Posted October 7, 2005 Posted October 7, 2005 But he's not average. He's easily in the top 10. 468935[/snapback] But is it enough?
GG Posted October 7, 2005 Author Posted October 7, 2005 If I have time, I can try to go through some others. But you failed to address the fact that the top 5 running teams are 16-3. 468936[/snapback] And the question is when do the running stats pile up? It's usually a self fulfilling prophecy for a winning team to have more carries than not.
VABills Posted October 7, 2005 Posted October 7, 2005 Yeah, use the one guy who's way off the map in number of touches to prove a point that Willis is underutilized. The Atlanta duo also touches 45% of total offensive plays. Care to do the analysis of how many of those touches were in closing out games? How many other RB's account for > 40% of the offense? So the complaint is not that he's underutilized, but that he's not the top guy. 468927[/snapback] How about Cadillac Williams. Rookie. He touches it 40% of the time with their running backs in total getting it 55%. See anything consistant here?
GG Posted October 7, 2005 Author Posted October 7, 2005 How about Cadillac Williams. Rookie. He touches it 40% of the time with their running backs in total getting it 55%. See anything consistant here? 468947[/snapback] Baltimore's & Jets RB are also in the 40% range. See anything consistEnt here?
VABills Posted October 7, 2005 Posted October 7, 2005 And the question is when do the running stats pile up? It's usually a self fulfilling prophecy for a winning team to have more carries than not. 468944[/snapback] Okay SD is only 2-2. LT is 40% of the touches and the running backs are 56%. This means they aren't just running out the clock and getting touches to RB. How abut Washington who has won all three on the final play of the game. No chance to run the clock out, yet they are 3-0. They have Portis touching it 33%, and the running backs at 47%. We have Willis at 37% and running backs at 46%.
BuffOrange Posted October 7, 2005 Posted October 7, 2005 Read my post above boy. Even !@#$ing Indy with probably the best QB in the game is working their RB;s over 50% of the plays and their stud 46% of their plays. 468931[/snapback] That's because teams drop 8 guys in coverage vs. Indy. It'd be nice if teams did that vs. the Bills, but they don't.
KRC Posted October 7, 2005 Posted October 7, 2005 And the question is when do the running stats pile up? It's usually a self fulfilling prophecy for a winning team to have more carries than not. 468944[/snapback] Important point. When the teams are leading, the RBs are going to get more carries in order to run out the clock. When teams are losing, they will start passing more. This factor is left out of the stats people like to use when attempting to make their point. Thanks for bringing it up.
UteBills Posted October 7, 2005 Posted October 7, 2005 WM is the man...he needs at least 45% of the games touches and we will see the Bills back in the Supah-Bowl...
Gavin in Va Beach Posted October 7, 2005 Posted October 7, 2005 Important point. When the teams are leading, the RBs are going to get more carries in order to run out the clock. When teams are losing, they will start passing more. This factor is left out of the stats people like to use when attempting to make their point. Thanks for bringing it up. 468971[/snapback] Again, you can jerk off to statistics as much as you guys want, but anyone who watches the games can see that Willis is not getting the ball in many situations that expressly call for it. The bringing him in and out on 3rd downs is also leading to a predictability of the offense. Not to mention that the percentage of Willis's touches is skewed, because the Offense has so many 3-and-out series that there aren't a whole lot of offensive plays to begin with...
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