Interesting Stat, and Sully is at it AGAIN!

[buffalo_bills]

Lets start off with the stat. This year, with 4 games to go, the Bills have 30 touchdowns. Last year, in 16 games, they had 25. This stat basically outlines the whole season. Pretty good play by the offense for the most part, but atrocious defense. This is why we're 2-10.

 

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/columns/jerry-sullivan/article276524.ece

 

Mark my words, next year by this time, when Spiller will have over 1,000 yards rushing, Sully will make an article titled " I told you so about Spiller"! This guy pisses me off.

[vincec]

Pretty much right on with this column.

[freester]

Sully is on target once again. Spiller was a terrible pick. Nix must go.

[bkc]

Not too sure were people wanted to go with that pick. Buluga is a right tackle taking him and paying him at number 10 would be a bit much. Cj represented the player with the most upside and still does.

 

Lets see how it plays out

[Green Lightning]

Usually I think Sully is more of an a**hole than a real sports writer but I get the thinking behind the column. I don't agree with it but it's a legit position. Let's see how it goes. It's way early. I think Spiller will be a great back. Worth a #9? We'll see.

[BillsVet]

The player Spiller is most compared to is Chris Johnson, 24th overall pick in 2008. In his rookie season, Johnson rushed for 1228 yards on 251 carries and caught 43 passes for another 260 yards. That's almost 300 touches, and the team also featured Lendale "tequila" White that year. This may not be a Spiller problem as much as it is a HC/OC issue for not getting him the ball. It's also noteworthy that Gailey is calling almost 60% passes since Fitzpatrick became the starter. Part of that may be just playing behind, but it's not exactly comforting knowing how high a pick Spiller was and the fact he's not involved in the passing game much either.

[PromoTheRobot]

Lets start off with the stat. This year, with 4 games to go, the Bills have 30 touchdowns. Last year, in 16 games, they had 25. This stat basically outlines the whole season. Pretty good play by the offense for the most part, but atrocious defense. This is why we're 2-10.

 

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/columns/jerry-sullivan/article276524.ece

 

Mark my words, next year by this time, when Spiller will have over 1,000 yards rushing, Sully will make an article titled " I told you so about Spiller"! This guy pisses me off.

 

Google the article Sully wrote in 2004 lavishing praise on Tom Donahoe for drafting a stud tackle like Mike Williams. When Sully started writing his columns slamming Tom for beings so stupid for draft Williams, I pointed out his '04 column to him. He snapped at me that it was his job to write columns that were "in the moment" and he reserved the right to change his opinion, and if I had a beef it was my problem, not his. So basically Sully was saying his opinions only last until his next column.

 

PTR

[bbb]

Lets start off with the stat. This year, with 4 games to go, the Bills have 30 touchdowns. Last year, in 16 games, they had 25. This stat basically outlines the whole season. Pretty good play by the offense for the most part, but atrocious defense. This is why we're 2-10.

 

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/columns/jerry-sullivan/article276524.ece

 

Mark my words, next year by this time, when Spiller will have over 1,000 yards rushing, Sully will make an article titled " I told you so about Spiller"! This guy pisses me off.

 

No, there is no way he will write something like that next year. If you don't think Spiller is disappointing and a stupid pick, I don't know what to say.

[reddogblitz]

Like him or not, he's right on the money on this one. For what he's done, ML could have done that and we could have picked Brian Baluga to help our swiss cheese OLIne. Sully might not want to say it, but I will, SPILLER IS A BUST !!.

 

I hope that changes, but I gotta see something before I think otherwise.

Edited December 8, 2010 by reddogblitz

[8-8 Forever?]

Not too sure were people wanted to go with that pick. Buluga is a right tackle taking him and paying him at number 10 would be a bit much. Cj represented the player with the most upside and still does.

 

Lets see how it plays out

Yep. If Freddy had gone down this year, I bet Spiller with 20-25 touches a game would have produced some highlight reel stuff. We let this guy go at our own peril. Belichick would love to have him I'm sure.

[sllib olaffub]

I'm not thrilled that they haven't used Spiller more, just to get a taste of what he's got. I'm not thrilled they haven't played other guys, too, though, to see what we have going into next year - because it has looked, at times, like our F.O. or coaches don't know how to evaluate the talent they have all that effectively, unless they let the guys play in games. But, just going on practice and pre-season, our coaches don't seem to know who is really good enough and who should have been replaced already. Maybe it's a new staff new scheme kind of problem.

 

Anyway, I don't think Gailey drafted Spiller for this year. I think they knew this year was a goner and they were drafting Spiller to be a major necessary piece in a three headed puzzle (QB, RB, WR). That made a bunch of sense to me if they were planning on getting that All Star QB this year or next, but it is discouraging if Gailey now thinks Fitz is that QB, because if that were the case then let Spiller get out there more now.

[Mr. WEO]

I'm not thrilled that they haven't used Spiller more, just to get a taste of what he's got. I'm not thrilled they haven't played other guys, too, though, to see what we have going into next year - because it has looked, at times, like our F.O. or coaches don't know how to evaluate the talent they have all that effectively, unless they let the guys play in games. But, just going on practice and pre-season, our coaches don't seem to know who is really good enough and who should have been replaced already. Maybe it's a new staff new scheme kind of problem.

 

Anyway, I don't think Gailey drafted Spiller for this year. I think they knew this year was a goner and they were drafting Spiller to be a major necessary piece in a three headed puzzle (QB, RB, WR). That made a bunch of sense to me if they were planning on getting that All Star QB this year or next, but it is discouraging if Gailey now thinks Fitz is that QB, because if that were the case then let Spiller get out there more now.

RB is the only offensive skill position where a rookie has the chance to produce immediately. If Gailey is all about "expecting to win every time his team takes the field", why isn't he putting such a powerful weapon as this Spiller kid was sold to us as? WHy on earth would he "save" a RB foe "next year"? Makes no sense.

 

Maybe CG has come to the conclusion that Freddy is just a better back, based on what we all have seen this year.

[VirginiaMike]

The player Spiller is most compared to is Chris Johnson, 24th overall pick in 2008. In his rookie season, Johnson rushed for 1228 yards on 251 carries and caught 43 passes for another 260 yards. That's almost 300 touches, and the team also featured Lendale "tequila" White that year. This may not be a Spiller problem as much as it is a HC/OC issue for not getting him the ball. It's also noteworthy that Gailey is calling almost 60% passes since Fitzpatrick became the starter. Part of that may be just playing behind, but it's not exactly comforting knowing how high a pick Spiller was and the fact he's not involved in the passing game much either.

You make a good point! Consistancy of an opinion is not a requirement for a columnist. It goes along with the saying "it doesn't matter what people are saying as long as they are talking about you". Sullivan writes things to get a rise out of people and he does that well. What he actually believes is not important and I expect not always what he writes.

[muffmonster]

I was ok with the Spiller pick and I thought we'd see some flashes this year, but so far he has been a disappointment. I like Jackson, but he doesn't have the speed to break the big ones and I thought that is what CJ would bring. By no means is CJ a bust....yet, but certainly a disappointment and for once I can't disagree with Sully.

[Wooderson]

Give him some more time, jeez.

[jumbalaya]

The player Spiller is most compared to is Chris Johnson, 24th overall pick in 2008. In his rookie season, Johnson rushed for 1228 yards on 251 carries and caught 43 passes for another 260 yards. That's almost 300 touches, and the team also featured Lendale "tequila" White that year. This may not be a Spiller problem as much as it is a HC/OC issue for not getting him the ball. It's also noteworthy that Gailey is calling almost 60% passes since Fitzpatrick became the starter. Part of that may be just playing behind, but it's not exactly comforting knowing how high a pick Spiller was and the fact he's not involved in the passing game much either.

Only in size does he look like Johnson. In production he looks like Joique Bell.

[DrDawkinstein]

This sums up Sully perfectly:

 

I know it's premature to label Spiller a bust. He's played 10 games in the NFL. He was thrown into a tough situation in camp. But....

 

Basically, "even though I know better, and that this is pretty irrational, I'm going to say something that will rile people up anyways".

 

He's no better than the dummies around here saying Nix and/or Gailey should be fired.

 

It's just a non-stop stream of flip-flopping BS. All reactionary to whatever the last play was, and no forethought or perspective. Anyone can write articles like he does. Most of the chicken littles around here actually do better.

[John from Riverside]

Like him or not, he's right on the money on this one. For what he's done, ML could have done that and we could have picked Brian Baluga to help our swiss cheese OLIne. Sully might not want to say it, but I will, SPILLER IS A BUST !!.

 

I hope that changes, but I gotta see something before I think otherwise.

 

Are we talking about the same Bulaga who hasn't looked to hot this year?

[TPS]

Google the article Sully wrote in 2004 lavishing praise on Tom Donahoe for drafting a stud tackle like Mike Williams. When Sully started writing his columns slamming Tom for beings so stupid for draft Williams, I pointed out his '04 column to him. He snapped at me that it was his job to write columns that were "in the moment" and he reserved the right to change his opinion, and if I had a beef it was my problem, not his. So basically Sully was saying his opinions only last until his next column.

 

PTR

Exactly. His job IS to piss people off. He plays the bad cop to the Gaughan/Wilson good cops.

[Koufax]

No, there is no way he will write something like that next year. If you don't think Spiller is disappointing and a stupid pick, I don't know what to say.

 

Disappointing yes.

 

Stupid pick no.

 

The kid can play and will play. I wish he were getting more touches right now and I'm not clear why he doesn't, but the more he touches the football the more of an impact he will have. I think if Freddie got hurt the weekend after we traded away Marshawn, and Spiller were forced to get most of the catches, his numbers would be fine.

 

EDIT:

Also, I'm not clear why nobody compares him to Maurice Jones-Drew in these threads. Just for comparison, through his first 13 weeks (with no two week hammy injury) of playing behind Fred Taylor MJD had 500 yards on 95 carries (although he had some TDs and more receptions), and had 7 games under 50 yards, and 9 games under 10 carries. I'm not comparing the players directly, just finding a reference of smaller back who came in to a situation with an established back in front of him.

Edited December 8, 2010 by Koufax