anybody else think we should have kept ivory over gore

[LSHMEAB]

My view on the whole "mentor" thing is that this is the job of the coaching staff. Not a fan of using a valuable roster spot on a player who's more of a liability than an asset. How much mentoring does a RB really need?

 

I have a ton of respect for Gore, his professionalism, and what he's achieved in his career. But he just doesn't bring much of anything to the table. He's had some decent possessions where he'll get you a tough 5-6 yards, but the NFL is full of guys who can do this(better) and bring much more versatility to the table.

 

Ivory isn't even really part of the equation because he's shot as well. Coulda/woulda/shoulda acquired a different back, but that's history. I would like to think they'll go into next season with two additional backs, preferably a young banger and a young guy capable of housing any given touch. Asking a lot, but that would be ideal.

 

Gotta roll with what we have for now, so DS needs to continue to produce.

[Mat68]

No.  Gore imo had a massive impact on the growth of Singeltary.  Gore cant get outside anymore.  He is good for some tough yards, but imo looks like a shot fighter.  The impact in the lockerroom cant go understated.  With a complete new group on offense he demands respect of every player.

[Cripple Creek]

3 hours ago, tcampbell104 said:

ivory had some pretty good runs last year and would have been cheaper than shady

We aren't hurting for cap and it isn't our money.  Cutting McCoy was a mistake.

[SoCal Deek]

Geez people! It takes all sorts of players to make up a playoff roster and as of Sunday night the Bills are indeed a playoff team. If anything, I can see people having an issue with how Daboll appears to be using Gore, but I wouldn't put it on Gore alone.  Is he getting older? Yes. Is he the reason that the Bills didn't make the playoffs? No.....because they did!

[KarmicReset]

I'm hoping Christian Wade has learned what he needs to from Gore this year like DS has. If so he's already learning our playbook and getting valuable reps with the team so way ahead of any rookie they could draft.

[Doc Brown]

Definitely an area of our team we can upgrade before the playoffs.  Can't we get CJ Anderson to run between the tackles like the Rams did last year or has he gained too much weight?

[Mr. WEO]

4 hours ago, tcampbell104 said:

i just think if we kept ivory our running game would be more powerful, and with our passing game not really there yet it would make us a stronger team in the playoffs

 

 

Ivory straight up sucked for 3 seasons with the Bills before he washed out of the NFL.

 

/thread

[CardinalScotts]

10 wins 2 weeks  to go and already in  playoffs, division title still in reach.  I don't know i think these coaches have made a couple right choices along the way- 

Singletary has taken over with fresh legs

Edited December 19, 2019 by CardinalScotts

[CaptnCoke11]

It’ll be good next year.  Gore will retire or play elsewhere and we’ll get another good RB to pair with Singletary.  

[BringBackOrton]

Maybe I’m alone, but I had completely forgot that Chris Ivory was a Bill. 2018 was like a fever dream on offense besides Josh hurdling Anthony Barr. 

[Bills Fan In Pittsford]

2 hours ago, KD in CA said:

 

People are forgetting how he played in Sept and Oct.  I recall him closing out a couple close wins.  And he did what he was supposed to do on the last drive against the Steelers.  Only reason that game got exciting in the last few seconds was because of the holding call.

This.  Gore has had tough sledding the last few games, yet still averaging 3.6 per game.  He is often running when everybody knows we are going to run, so that hurts his stats.  But he can be counted on and doesn't give the game away.  I love the way they use him.

[Prickly Pete]

3 hours ago, ProcessAccepted said:

Wow!!! That is crazy talk. Gore is our culture personified. Mentors young guys, shows them how to work, plus can help finish games like the Titans game. The guy has been a great addition.

 

 

The Titans game? That was ages ago....he is done. They should have known better. 

 

[tcampbell104]

1 hour ago, Mat68 said:

No.  Gore imo had a massive impact on the growth of Singeltary.  Gore cant get outside anymore.  He is good for some tough yards, but imo looks like a shot fighter.  The impact in the lockerroom cant go understated.  With a complete new group on offense he demands respect of every player.

singelterry looks like the exact same way he looked in college the  mentoring thing is a  little overblown

[The Frankish Reich]

3 hours ago, BillsFan4 said:

No. You could not ask for a better mentor for Singletary, and Gore has really taken Motor under his wing. He seems to be relishing the mentor role. 

Agreed. Not only that - it also worked!  Gore was his generally efficient, non flashy, grind it out self while the Bills racked up wins until Singletary was healthy and ready. Why are people stuck on criticizing a position that worked? 

[Yav]

This is silly. Gore was fine early in the season and now he’s a backup. Just let it go. He’s not hurting the team and is a great guy for Singletary.

 

so easy to second guess after the matter. 
 

the Bills are in the playoffs, can we just be happy about that? 

[RocCityRoller]

Well I did start this Gem before the trade deadline.

 

I tried to note to TBD that RB was the biggest position of need at the FA deadline.

 

I was trying to point out that Gore can not be an RB1 if needed (what an RB2 is supposed to do)

Singletary is unproven and injured (happy he came back so quickly from a hammy)

Using Gore so much early meant fumes later because 36 yr old backs run out of juice (Yep)

Buffalo should try to get a RB more than a WR (Yep)

Buffalo does not trust Yeldon any more than I do (Yep)

Buffalo should try to get Drake (Yep), Ballage (Nope), Lindsay (Yep)

 

Well Gore is on fumes. He had some nice games filling in but it used up his juice. He did break a record and has been a pro.

Buffalo did need a RB because now Gore is averaging 1.2-1.5 ydc (got used up while Singletary was out)

Singletary the good unproven back from a small conference is showing fumbleitis and there is no on else to go to.....

 

I saw it back in October when Gore was still a stud per the replies below, and it was assumed Singletary would be a stud.

 

Listen to RocCityRoller, he knows foootballing

 

 

[Just Joshin']

Not all all.  Gore was here to be RB2 but also mentor Singletary.

[Thurman#1]

6 hours ago, Ramza86 said:

On the field probably....off the field...probably not. 

 

Gore is a veteran role model and a future HoFer. 

 

Just having a guy like that on the team, working hard and being a good example for the rest is big for the process.

 

 

This.

 

He's run OK, but not great. As the year has gone on he appears to have lost a half a step but still hits holes hard. Ivory isn't playing, and there's probably a reason for that.

 

Outside the building, fans tend to underestimate the effect of having a guy like Gore in the locker room. McDermott doesn't. It's why Gore's here at his age. Part of the reason this team is playing so well is that guys are buying in wholeheartedly to the process, to extreme preparation, to improving every day.

 

But every coach in the league talks about those things. Players only respond fully to a small percentage of those coaches and situations. Gore is a part of this situation, a living example of good habits leading to a tremendous long career. He's far more valuable to McDermott than just being a running back. Again, fans don't care about that stuff because we're not in the locker room. We talk about it for 30 seconds and then start to talk about his running. But that's not how our coaches look at this.

 

 

[Formerly Allan in MD]

No

[RocCityRoller]

7 minutes ago, Formerly Allan in MD said:

No

 

You trust Gore, as he is now, to make a game winning run in the playoffs or SB if needed?

[BringBackOrton]

1 hour ago, RocCityRoller said:

Well I did start this Gem before the trade deadline.

 

I tried to note to TBD that RB was the biggest position of need at the FA deadline.

 

I was trying to point out that Gore can not be an RB1 if needed (what an RB2 is supposed to do)

Singletary is unproven and injured (happy he came back so quickly from a hammy)

Using Gore so much early meant fumes later because 36 yr old backs run out of juice (Yep)

Buffalo should try to get a RB more than a WR (Yep)

Buffalo does not trust Yeldon any more than I do (Yep)

Buffalo should try to get Drake (Yep), Ballage (Nope), Lindsay (Yep)

 

Well Gore is on fumes. He had some nice games filling in but it used up his juice. He did break a record and has been a pro.

Buffalo did need a RB because now Gore is averaging 1.2-1.5 ydc (got used up while Singletary was out)

Singletary the good unproven back from a small conference is showing fumbleitis and there is no on else to go to.....

 

I saw it back in October when Gore was still a stud per the replies below, and it was assumed Singletary would be a stud.

 

Listen to RocCityRoller, he knows foootballing

 

 

Devin Singletary has averaged > 5 YPC over the last 5 games while carrying the ball anywhere from 15-20 times per game, so no RB was never a need.

 

Singletary went 4 games straight without a fumble, and has 1 fumble lost on the year.

 

This is the worst pat yourself on the back post that I have seen in years. Just wrong in everyway possible.

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

6 hours ago, tcampbell104 said:

if we hadnt signed gore he might still be a free agent

 

Like Ivory? 

[Just Joshin']

What if they kept Ivory and had hired Anthony Lynn?

[US Egg]

I'd keep gold over ivory, unless I needed piano keys.

[Chandler#81]

7 hours ago, Big C said:

Gore has been invaluable to Motor. And let's not forget he was actually effective when Motor was hurt. He helped keep our reeling offense afloat in that Pats game. I think his age us catching up to him a little bit but I think his usage is partly to blame. You knew we were handing off three times to Gore on Sunday and it's hard to gain ten yards when the whole defense is keyed on you.

 

Not to mention, getting Gore to #3 all time in rush yards is a big motivator and morale boost for the team. McD uses stuff like that to great effect.

Somewhat Lost in all this is the very likely positive impact on Christian Wade, the Preseason phenom from the UK. Unearthly talent with no clue how to play the game and even less how to be a player. He appeared to be very much committed to his new profession and there just isn’t a more professional example he could learn from. 

 

I gotta wear sunglasses ? cuz the future is so bright!

[MyDogLuvsPB]

9 hours ago, Kirby Jackson said:

I’m going to go with neither. Gore would have been fine as a 3rd back because of his character. He should have never been counted on to run the ball. We should have probably kept Shady as the other back or signed Latavius Murray. They had to have a guy with some tread left on the tires.

This. 

 

I was shocked we kept Yeldon over McCoy! 

[Buffalo Barbarian]

No. Shady over Yeldon.

 

 

 

[GETTOTHE50]

Nah you need to have a HoF’er or two on your roster. It gives players a model to strive for. 
 

Hope we bring another older HoF’er next year, if not frank again.  Not a doubt in my mind he’s mentoring Devin.

 

The results show. Doubt we have 10 wins without frank on the team. 

[CSBill]

It surprises me when I see Gore has almost 600 yards. He could reach 700 for the season, that's productive for any number 2 guy.

[freddyjj]

Curious stat on Frank vs Pats.  In first game he had 109 yrs with a 41 yd run.  6.7 YPC !  Only other backs over 100 yrs vs Pats this year were Mixon, Chubb and Ingram.  All bullish RBs btw. 

 

Singletary missed first matchup.  Gotta believe Bills will try to run at slower Pats LBs in the rematch.  Frank the Tank and Devin tag team on SAT!

[racketmaster]

No and I have been advocating for the Bills to reduce or eliminate Gore's touches in recent weeks. Gore's leadership is what they wanted in the room with Singletary and I think it has been a good strategy. Ivory would not have provided that as Gore shows the entire team what it takes to be successful in the NFL for as long has he has. As a bonus, Gore even played some decent football early in the season. So it definitely was not a mistake but I still believe that now is the time to shift away from using Gore on the field and move those touches to Yeldon or another option as Gore's production has fallen off a cliff. I would still dress Gore for games and just use him for end of game situations where the team is just trying to run clock to close out the game without fumbling. 

[PaattMaann]

Im super good with Gore. He helped this team tremendously for the month without Singletary. Gore has been our 4 minute offense back all year, dependable. Sure his YPC have dropped as the season wears on, but hes not meant to be that guy, he only had to be due to injuries. And he filled in admirably. (Giants game, 70 yards and a TD on 19 carries...Bengals game, 76 yards and a TD on 14 carries...Pats game, 109 yards on 17 carries...) Ivory couldn't hold Franks jock strap. 

 

Singletary wouldn't be near the ready made NFL back we are seeing right now without Gore being his mentor and teacher. If you think otherwise your head is literally buried in the sand. 

 

I would bring Gore back next year JUST to keep this role with Singletary. 

[Freddie's Dead]

No.  What is with all the Gore hate?  Motor is getting the lion's share of the work, Frank is doing his job in short-yardage and when they absolutely need to protect the rock since Motor is a fumbling machine.  Just sit back and enjoy a HOF'er in the twilight of his career.  Hate on something useful, like Dabollocks completely removing the jet sweep from the running game.

[Mr. WEO]

10 hours ago, BringBackOrton said:

Devin Singletary has averaged > 5 YPC over the last 5 games while carrying the ball anywhere from 15-20 times per game, so no RB was never a need.

 

Singletary went 4 games straight without a fumble, and has 1 fumble lost on the year.

 

This is the worst pat yourself on the back post that I have seen in years. Just wrong in everyway possible.

 

Lost fumbles are a team stat.   For a player, a fumble is a fumble--whether your teammate or an opponent recovers it is out of your control.

[DaBillsFanSince1973]

I don't understand those that have to be so against gore. he's fine for what they're asking him to do and has been a mentor to singletary. he's likely not going to come back next season as he has had a full and successful career. but, he's still here and I'm going to support him the same as I do the whole team and I'm looking forward to his contributions through the next two games and in to the playoffs.

Edited December 19, 2019 by DaBillsFanSince1973

[bigK14094]

I would like to see Yeldon active at some point and use his superior receiving skills..he is not great as a runner, but can still pose that threat.  By using Yeldon in that role, parts of the playbook not seen to date can be effective if only for a few series.  Mix it up in a game you really want.   Bills are a long shot for the East title, and the first playoff game may be that situation.

[klos63]

Totally forgot Ivory even played last season. Haven't given it a thought at all. How's he doing this season?