Spiller in the slot?

[BillsFanFromCincy2012]

Watched the Bills game on Sunday and was incredibly impressed with the offensive output, but I was also watching the Lions game with a buddy and remember him saying, "finally, they are putting reggie in the slot". With Freddy J not looking like he is losing a step, why not have some formations where we have CJ in the slot? Guy can catch, juke out anyone, and very few linebackers can keep up with him...if any. Now should we send him down the middle every time for him to get annihilated and injured...absolutely not. Should we have some formations where chandler blocks for more pass protection, EJ checks down and throws a short pass to CJ and sees what he does with it, absolutely. We have some potential playmakers on the outside but lets give the defenses one more thing to think about.

 

Thoughts?

[Canks]

1 thought. terrible idea, his arms aren't long enough to play the slot.

 

trust me.

[boyst]

1 thought. terrible idea, his arms aren't long enough to play the slot.

 

trust me.

he did it last year a few times. I forgot the exact issue but it eventually ran itself out to where it stopped being effective.

 

Chan did know to keep Spiller in space and this might be worth a try to see if he could offer something more on the field

[Dorkington]

Last year we had a lot of success moving CJ around on the field, as well as doing more screens and horizontal draws. This year, we seem to be just rushing him inside and that's about it. He has a hard time recognizing a developing hole, so he bounces, and gets hit. I really wish Hackett would look at Chan's playcalling for CJ last year and implement some of the ideas.

[BuffaloBill]

Marrone already said in the press that he does not want to split Spiller out. He does not believe in it philosophically.

[Gerry]

Last year we had a lot of success moving CJ around on the field, as well as doing more screens and horizontal draws. This year, we seem to be just rushing him inside and that's about it. He has a hard time recognizing a developing hole, so he bounces, and gets hit. I really wish Hackett would look at Chan's playcalling for CJ last year and implement some of the ideas.

This idea is spot-on. Chan was overmatched as a head coach but could call plays. A year ago at this time CJ was considered one of the emerging stars in the NFL and was on the radar of every DC. He should be healthy for the last 5 games and Marrone/Hackett need to use the break to figure out how to better utilize his skills.

[BADOLBILZ]

Watched the Bills game on Sunday and was incredibly impressed with the offensive output, but I was also watching the Lions game with a buddy and remember him saying, "finally, they are putting reggie in the slot". With Freddy J not looking like he is losing a step, why not have some formations where we have CJ in the slot? Guy can catch, juke out anyone, and very few linebackers can keep up with him...if any. Now should we send him down the middle every time for him to get annihilated and injured...absolutely not. Should we have some formations where chandler blocks for more pass protection, EJ checks down and throws a short pass to CJ and sees what he does with it, absolutely. We have some potential playmakers on the outside but lets give the defenses one more thing to think about.

 

Thoughts?

 

Spiller is not smart enough to be a significant factor in the passing game. He also isn't that natural of a pass catcher anyway. Maybe next year the team will replace the traffic cone they have playing LG with an NFL starter and EJ will have inspired enough confidence in Hackett that they will spread the field horizontally a bit more and open up the field some for Spiller. Chan is a very good offensive mind, but if he would have ran his offense with Manuel, Tuel and Lewis at QB and with the struggling LG's the Bills have had this season, I think you end up with a lot of turnovers, less wins and larger margins of defeat. Even with better results from CJ. Not worth it. CJ is a player who can make great plays, not a great player.

[thewildrabbit]

Spiller is not smart enough to be a significant factor in the passing game. He also isn't that natural of a pass catcher anyway. Maybe next year the team will replace the traffic cone they have playing LG with an NFL starter and EJ will have inspired enough confidence in Hackett that they will spread the field horizontally a bit more and open up the field some for Spiller. Chan is a very good offensive mind, but if he would have ran his offense with Manuel, Tuel and Lewis at QB and with the struggling LG's the Bills have had this season, I think you end up with a lot of turnovers, less wins and larger margins of defeat. Even with better results from CJ. Not worth it. CJ is a player who can make great plays, not a great player.

While I wholehearted agree with the traffic cone, and two other sub par players on that line. However, I disagree with that last line.

 

Spiller was an absolute terror last season, and averaged 6.0 yards per carry average. Anyone else in the NFL have that kind of ability to average 6.0 YPC? Oh yea, Adrian Peterson at 6.0 & RG3 at 6.8.

 

RG3 paid for all his running with surgery, and AD is facing defenses keyed to stop him, just like with Spiller. But unlike Spiller, AD is still #4 in rushing. I suppose that is because he hasn't been injured this year like Spiller has been. Still, AD is only averaging 4.4 YPC this year. CJ is 21st, and averaging 4.1 YPC.

 

Teams can stop Spiller by stacking the box and keying on him because of the lame running offense Nate Hackett is using him in. Plus the injuries. Plus his style of play. Spiller was excellent in Gaileys spread offense by breaking long runs, which happens when that LoS is spread out. But that offense couldn't make a first down on 3rd and one by running it, couldn't control the LoS by passing or running, and kinda why they didn't win many games.

 

 

NEWS FLASH, EJ isn't going to be able to carry the team every single game like he did against the Jets. So with no dominate run ability to control the LoS this years team will most likely end up with last years record.

 

Read this, written after week 3 of 2011, 9/30/2011 : http://espn.go.com/b...o-bills-offense

 

 

 

"Gailey's system thrives on several core principles. First, by lining up with four receivers, Buffalo is able to "expand the defense." Buffalo's alignment forces defenses to spread out. It creates bigger seams, and makes it easier for the quarterback to read defenses and recognize blitzes. "

 

"Buffalo's spread also takes defenses out of their comfort zones. Every base defense in the NFL has three or four linebackers.

At some point in the next few months, or year..that is if he is still the Bills OC / QB coach after this season. Hopefully, Nate Hackett will remove his head from his posterior and go back and look at the film of why Gailey's offense was so successful running Spiller in the spread, and start using the same offense. Lets also hope that the FO / Whaley realizes he needs better players on that line to win games.

Edited November 21, 2013 by Beerball
Edited quote

[Dorkington]

I don't think we should, or need to use the same offense as last year. I do think he could build a couple packages based on some of the formations/plays last year that gets CJ and Fred more space. But also, for TJ and Goodwin. We don't seem to run very many designed plays to get the ball into the WRs hands with space to run, either.

[Beerball]

While I wholehearted agree with the traffic cone, and two other sub par players on that line. However, I disagree with that last line.

 

Spiller was an absolute terror last season, and averaged 6.0 yards per carry average. Anyone else in the NFL have that kind of ability to average 6.0 YPC? Oh yea, Adrian Peterson at 6.0 & RG3 at 6.8.

He was a part time terror last season and he hasn't been able to prove week in, week out that he can perform. Yes, Gailey's play calling helped him, but he is a part time player either because of injury, toughness, stamina or a combination of the three. Mention him with the likes of Peterson when he strings together a few seasons.

[thewildrabbit]

He was a part time terror last season and he hasn't been able to prove week in, week out that he can perform. Yes, Gailey's play calling helped him, but he is a part time player either because of injury, toughness, stamina or a combination of the three. Mention him with the likes of Peterson when he strings together a few seasons.

Granted, but then Gailey didn't even utilize Spiller as much as he could have the last two years, as I can remember games in 2012 in which he only saw the ball Cleveland 4 rushes, NE 8 rushes, 49ers 7 rushes, Houston 6 rushes, NE 9 rushes, and so on. It wasn't until Jackson went out with an injury and then Spiller was finally used full time did he ever see the ball enough to become a terror.

 

Most RB's can't get into a rhythm until the see the ball at least 15-20 times a game. Even then Gailey stated some time in the middle of last season that he realized that both Spiller & Jackson should see the ball 20 touches a game. But they mostly never did. Instead Gailey would have Fitz slinging it all over.

 

Still, Spiller is not an Adrian Peterson type every down, grind it out RB for certain, and never will be.. But then, not many RB's are even close to the talent of AD.

 

Nevertheless, the fact that against the Jets the Bills 38 rushes for 68 yards for a 1.8 YPC average for both Spiller and Jackson was beyond ridiculous. I realize that the Jets had the #1 defense against the run, and allowed only 2.9 YPC against them so far this season. If the Bills ever want to build a team that can win consistently, that they need to build a ran game that can control the LoS and clock against anybody. So the OP has a point about the new Bills OC figuring out a way to get Spiller the ball and allow him to be in the open.