26CornerBlitz Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 http://nfl.si.com/2013/08/28/best-nfl-backfields-adrian-peterson-ray-rice/?xid=nl_siextra 10. Buffalo Bills (C.J. Spiller, Fred Jackson) Too Low? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Fred is a question mark. #10 is about right. If it were 2011 Fred & CJ it would be #1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffOrange Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 (edited) Way too low. I'd probably put 'em 4th behind Minnesota, Baltimore, & maybe Philly. Houston 2nd is a joke w/ Foster's mileage & declining YPC. He was essentially a volume rusher last yr. Tate might be good but who really knows. Seattle/SF - Best OL's in the league also aided by mobile QB's. Pretty simple formula to land up here: combine a bona fide No. 1 back with a solid No. 2 and a steady fullback. Peterson is the best running back and arguably the best player in football, but the Vikings sit third here. Why? Because the drop-off from Peterson to Gerhart is far more substantial than the one from Ray to Pierce or Foster to Tate. Pretty lame formula that doesn't account for "solid #2's" being infinitely easier to replace (like 4th round picks in every draft) than once in a generation talents like Peterson. What would the Vikings be willing to throw in on a trade Gerhart for Tate straight up - maybe a 5th rounder? Not to be the cliche "rip linked articles" guy but honestly, this is why I pretty much read exclusively Bill Barnwell for nfl opinions. Such rubbish elsewhere. Edited August 28, 2013 by BuffOrange Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Over 29 years of fanhood Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Redskins at 19? Ok that's just stupid. The whole list is like a 5 year old from 2010 just guessed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 (edited) Yeah a ranking list. That is what wins ball games fine. I will give more detail. The ranking matters only if you need all of your backs. I doubt few teams have a 3rd runner with the same credentials as Choice. But what does that matter when FJ ans CJ are above him? Futhermore, would you rather have CJ run for 2k and Fred for 400? Or would you rather have CJ run for 1100 catch 800 and FJ run for 600 and catch for 500? Which is more indicative of success? Edited August 29, 2013 by jboyst62 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papazoid Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 if they all played behind the same offensive line... #1- min #2- buf #3- ten #4- kc #5- wash #6- sea #7- sf #8- tb #9- ne #10- hou #11- bal #12- chi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddog35 Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 Not all of those teams have a legit 1-2 punch like the Bills do. Minnesota is all Peterson. Gerard comes in and pounds out a yard or 2 but he does not provide much. Same with Tampa being all Doug Martin. So you have to give the Bills at least top 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmsmystic Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 (edited) Our ranking seems harshly low at first, but probaly fair. CJ looks fanastic, but his volume of great seasons is low. I don't know which version of FJ is showing up this year- the stud of 2010 or the banged up fumbler of last year.... Edited August 29, 2013 by hmsmystic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddenboy Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 As to Tier Two, I'd put (6) Eagles (7) Bears (8) Bills. Recognizing that FJ has slowed a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metzelaars_lives Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 if they all played behind the same offensive line... #1- min #2- buf #3- ten #4- kc #5- wash #6- sea #7- sf #8- tb #9- ne #10- hou #11- bal #12- chi You're insinuating that Buffalo has a poor offensive line and that their running backs are underachieving as a result. Yet the Bills have had one of the highest YPC in the league for two straight years. C.J. Spiller averaged 6 YPC last season. Are you suggesting that our OL has been poor and that he would have averaged closer to 7 YPC with a better OL? I would suggest that part of the reason that Spiller was able to average 6 YPC last season was because our OL was so good and that behind most OL's he would have been lucky to average 5. All that being said, I think we will miss Levitre quite a bit this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ny33 Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 Switch the Falcons and Bills' rankings. Do the same for the Patriots and the Eagles. Our ranking is where it is because C.J. Spiller is awesome and Fred Jackson is a solid backup, not, as some posters here claim, a top-five back in the league. As for a solid measure of success: 4.5 y.p.c. overall in the run game, be in the bottom ten in turnovers from our running backs, and being in the top half of yards per target (passes) for the RBs would qualify as a "successful" season. Pass blocking, while less quantifiable, would be nice too. Some advanced stats can track the effectiveness of C.J. and Fred in helping out in the passing game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Turk Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 Fred was rated by PFF as the best pass blocking RB in 2011 by a wide margin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 Fred was rated by PFF as the best pass blocking RB in 2011 by a wide margin while nice that a guy that is transitioning into a 3rd down back kind of role is very good at pass blocking - that it was 2 years ago, and like 8th on the list of things that i want my back to be best at certainly diminishes the impressiveness of that statement a little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joey greco Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 I love FJ but backs hit the wall hard and fast and from what it looks like Freddie might have hit it. 10 might be generous with the shambles of on o-line this team has. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metzelaars_lives Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 (edited) I love FJ but backs hit the wall hard and fast and from what it looks like Freddie might have hit it. 10 might be generous with the shambles of on o-line this team has. So we've had a top 5 offensive line for the past two seasons by every imaginable statistical measurement- sacks, YPC, etc. We have a 2nd year LT who had a very fine rookie year and there's no reason to think he can't build off that. We have a stud C and a very solid RG. CJ Spiller has busted his runs this preseason just like he did last year. With all the problems we seem to have, the pass protection has actually been pretty good. We lost a very good RT no doubt about it, but after a preseason game in which none of the starters played, you are declaring our offensive line to be in 'shambles?' Wow. Some of you guys are unbelievable. Let the season play out for a few games would ya? Edited August 30, 2013 by metzelaars_lives Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joey greco Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 No I'll see the loss of our best offensive lineman and RT as a major loss. I remember exactly what the line looked like pre Fitz and post Fitz and learn the lesson that the QB is an enormous factor in pass protection (or at least sacks allowed). I'll remember what this running game has looked like outside of the first two carries of the preseason. Thanks, some of you guys are unbelievable. Let the last few years sink in would ya? Learn a little something so you're not one of Barnum's favorites for a change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewEra Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 So we've had a top 5 offensive line for the past two seasons by every imaginable statistical measurement- sacks, YPC, etc. We have a 2nd year LT who had a very fine rookie year and there's no reason to think he can't build off that. We have a stud C and a very solid RG. CJ Spiller has busted his runs this preseason just like he did last year. With all the problems we seem to have, the pass protection has actually been pretty good. We lost a very good RT no doubt about it, but after a preseason game in which none of the starters played, you are declaring our offensive line to be in 'shambles?' Wow. Some of you guys are unbelievable. Let the season play out for a few games would ya? The line will be in shambles once wood goes down. Those saying our RBs are better than the Seahawks need to put down the pipe. I believe spiller is better than Lynch, but at this point Michael (who is a really good back) and Turbin get the nod over my favorite Bill, Fred. Niners being ranked over us is a joke, but expected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papazoid Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 You're insinuating that Buffalo has a poor offensive line and that their running backs are underachieving as a result. Yet the Bills have had one of the highest YPC in the league for two straight years. C.J. Spiller averaged 6 YPC last season. Are you suggesting that our OL has been poor and that he would have averaged closer to 7 YPC with a better OL? I would suggest that part of the reason that Spiller was able to average 6 YPC last season was because our OL was so good and that behind most OL's he would have been lucky to average 5. All that being said, I think we will miss Levitre quite a bit this year. i'm flat out saying our offensive line was poor. and now with the loss of Levitre will flat out suck this year. our depth is laughable. our line was helped in great part and was made to look better than what it really is due to Fitz getting rid of the ball in under 3 seconds and Freddy being a league leader in Yards after Contact (YAC). I think Freddy and Spiller are STUDS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metzelaars_lives Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 (edited) i'm flat out saying our offensive line was poor. and now with the loss of Levitre will flat out suck this year. our depth is laughable. our line was helped in great part and was made to look better than what it really is due to Fitz getting rid of the ball in under 3 seconds and Freddy being a league leader in Yards after Contact (YAC). I think Freddy and Spiller are STUDS. Ahh the famous "Fitzpatrick's magic delivery" rebuttal... If you think last year's offensive line of Glenn-Levitre-Wood-Urbik-Pears/Hairston was "poor," then my friend, you aren't paying very close attention and I flat out question your understanding of the game. Do you watch tape of other teams' offensive lines and scrutinize them too? Their run blocking was absolutely mauler last year. That's OK, droves of NFL analysts and pro football focus are on my side, while joey greco is on yours. I feel OK about where I stand. No I'll see the loss of our best offensive lineman and RT as a major loss. I remember exactly what the line looked like pre Fitz and post Fitz and learn the lesson that the QB is an enormous factor in pass protection (or at least sacks allowed). I'll remember what this running game has looked like outside of the first two carries of the preseason. Thanks, some of you guys are unbelievable. Let the last few years sink in would ya? Learn a little something so you're not one of Barnum's favorites for a change. That's a different conversation. You may be right- Levitre's departure may really hurt us. And I liked Hairston to win that job although Pears has played pretty well when he's been healthy. And Rinehart was ranked incredibly high by PFF so his loss may hurt us too. I'm going to let that play out. At the end of the day, we will return four healthy starters from an OL that everyone around the league has considered a top 5 OL in football the last two years. Everyone except you and papazoid, who think the Bills OL has sucked the last two years. Which is insane that you think that. Honestly, answer this question- if our offensive line sucked last year, how many YPC would Spiller have averaged behind a good OL? 7? 8? Because if a guy averages 6 YPC behind an OL that is terrible I gotta figure he's the best RB in the history of the game. And I also have to believe that Fitz is one of the best QB's ever because if he has this "magic delivery" and has to get rid of the ball quicker than every other QB because, again, our line is so bad, and he still threw for 23-25 TD's each of the last three years, then he is a hell of a lot better than I realized he was. Yes, you guys are unbelievable. Edited August 30, 2013 by metzelaars_lives Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffOrange Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 I love FJ but backs hit the wall hard and fast and from what it looks like Freddie might have hit it. 10 might be generous with the shambles of on o-line this team has. I think they're trying to rank backfields, not running games. True point that backs hit the wall faster than people realize. I don't know whether FJax has or not. So we've had a top 5 offensive line for the past two seasons by every imaginable statistical measurement- sacks, YPC, etc. It's pretty well documented that QBs have a bigger impact on sacks than OLs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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