Chan Gailey: C.J. Spiller Must Improve Ball Security, Pass Protection
by Brian Galliford on Feb 25, 2011 8:45 AM EST
in Buffalo Bills News
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Buffalo Bills running back C.J. Spiller had a rough rookie season. Finishing with just 440 yards and one touchdown offensively, Bills head coach Chan Gailey made no qualms about the fact that the No. 9 overall pick's first season was disappointing in comments Thursday from the 2011 NFL Combine.
"It didn’t work out like everybody planned – he planned, I planned, any fan out there planned – it didn’t work out like any of us had planned," Gailey said in a press conference.
Gailey, who has expressed optimism regarding Spiller's future before, did so again yesterday - but also pointed out where he believes Spiller needs to improve.
"I still think he’s going to be a very good to great player for the Buffalo Bills. There’s no question in my mind about that," Gailey said. "I think he’s got to do better at ball security and pass protection. Those are the two areas he’s got to get better at. I’m not telling you anything we haven’t told him."
After the jump, more from Gailey on the circumstances of Spiller's rookie season, and similarities between he and Kansas City's Jamaal Charles.
Gailey placed a lot of the blame on the slow start to Spiller's career on the circumstances of his rookie season. As Buffalo entered its first year with Gailey at the helm, Gailey couldn't focus on scheming for Spiller as much as he'd have liked to.
"I think I’ll do a better job of creating ways to use him more," Gailey said. "When you are establishing what you’re trying to get done offensively, you have a hard time deviating too much to do things for one guy and to create things for one guy because we were in the process of evaluating everybody and trying to create things for everybody on our offense. It was a ‘getting to know you’ year.
"Just because it didn’t work out, that wasn’t his fault," Gailey continued. "I don’t even think it was the process’s fault of who to draft. I think it is more the product of the situation and us being in our first year. If we would have been in the third year and taken him, I don’t think it would have had the same results. So, I think there are a lot of factors. We put the expectations on the ones – on the first guys that are taken. Everybody in this room out there in the football kingdom puts expectations on ones. That’s what we do."
Gailey was asked about a player that he had while Kansas City's offensive coordinator in 2008 - one Jamaal Charles - and how the two started of similarly in their first seasons (Charles had 629 total yards and one touchdown as a third-round rookie that season).
"The big thing for (Charles) was ball security," Gailey told the Kansas City Star. "Where he was his first year was very similar to where C.J. was this past year. The similarities are striking. He learned to hold on to the football, Jamaal did. If C.J. can, I think he’ll have some big years."
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quick reaction
I don’t remember ball security being more of an issue than say, negative plays. The dancing behind the line, not finding and hitting the lanes (small and brief as they might have been) seemed to me to be the biggest frustration/concern.
"Don't I know you?"
"Nah, that ain't me, man. I'm from Buffalo"
by SamUK on Feb 25, 2011 9:08 AM EST via mobile reply actions
Me neither. But Mr. Reality stopped by, and pointed out that Charles had an average of 5.3, but Spiller averaged 3.8.
BUT, having said that, I’m more than excited to see how he will perform next season.
by maestro110584 on Feb 25, 2011 9:14 AM EST up reply actions
Whoops
Grr, meant to be a reply to Brian’s post.
by maestro110584 on Feb 25, 2011 9:15 AM EST up reply actions
could have just been a few bigger plays and other factors
Gailey sees similarities, coached both… makes sense
Go Bills because I'm a blind homer... sort of
yeah but
(Charles had 629 total yards and one touchdown as a third-round rookie that season).
There’s miles of difference between a third round RB and a #9 pick. High expectations should certainly be put on a #9 pick- particularly when the team is the talent bereft Buffalo Bills. And, if it was a “getting to know you” year, and we were 0-8, why shy away from “scheming for Spiller”? What was there to lose? They knew what Jackson could do. Would playing time have helped Spiller cure his “ills”?
“Getting to know you” and Spiller’s usage seem contradictory, IMO.
"Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends. We're so glad you could attend, come inside, come inside" - ELP
"Getting to know you" and Spiller’s usage seem contradictory, IMO.
I think the ball security and pass protection issues are solely responsible for his usage. Nothing else really factored into the decision to keep him off the field.
Editor-in-Chief, BUFFALO RUMBLINGS®
@BrianGalliford
by Brian Galliford on Feb 25, 2011 9:14 AM EST up reply actions
ball security and pass protection issues are solely responsible for his usage
Sure, but I believe live game action in a season that was a throw away anyway, could have/should have been used to try and improve these shortcomings. Sitting on the bench won’t help him hold onto the ball or pick up a blitz. Isn’t that why they call them “reps”?
"Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends. We're so glad you could attend, come inside, come inside" - ELP
You get reps in practice settings to practice your faults, not in games. Maybe you don’t agree, but NFL coaches play to win every single game. That means doing what you think gives the team the best chance to win. With his issues, Spiller did not give the bills that chance to win, so he didn’t play.
by Eric Murawski on Feb 25, 2011 9:49 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
you have a point
but I’m hanging my hat on Gailey’s “get to know you year” comment. Doesn’t sound much like “we’ll do everything to win”. More like, “We’re in a 16 game preseason”. Funny, it seems it turned out that way.
"Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends. We're so glad you could attend, come inside, come inside" - ELP
I think that you can ruin a player by giving them too much playing time. Sometimes they can develop bad habits trying to make things work. Practice lets you improve your form or try to learn new things.
Its like golf, you go to the range to try out new shots, but when you are on the course you just do what you know.
You raise, in my opinion, very good questions and make sound points. While each and every drafted player is important to his team, there should be a higher expectation of someone taken #9 over someone in the third round. I’m sure there is on the part of Gailey. It’s just that knowing that, I find it difficult to sympathize with the comparison. I know he’s just a guy who found himself lucky enough to go #9, but it’s the shoe he has to lace up now. I also, agreed that if they were O-fer halfway through the season, more should have been made to establish Spiller within the franchise.
In the year two thousaaaaaaand.
In the year two thousAAAAAAND!
Current song recommendation: Ween "Mr. Richard Smoker"
by TheAfghanTwilight on Feb 25, 2011 9:29 AM EST up reply actions
Okay...
Look, i’ve been pretty hard on Spiller, feeling it was a strange pick of a player who wouldn’t have a clearly defined role on the team any time soon. I don’t dislike him, and RB has always been one of my favorite positions of interest on the team.
I think it’s a cool thing to have a player like him, but at what cost was his selection last season? Will he ever live up to the lofty draft status given him? Not is he capable, but will the majority of the fanbase ever allow him a pass?
I’m rooting for Spiller, I just dislike that I (and most of us) are in that position. Why didn’t he succeed? What didn’t the team know about him in scouting, and is it possible they’re learned something from the pick?
In the year two thousaaaaaaand.
In the year two thousAAAAAAND!
Current song recommendation: Ween "Mr. Richard Smoker"
by TheAfghanTwilight on Feb 25, 2011 9:21 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
Right Hand Dominant
I’m not saying I don’t like Spiller… because I do and I did like picking him last year as I understood his selection (whether the Bills admit it or not) was not made for the 2010 season, but more likely for 2012. That being said, to answer your rhetorical question what did the Bills’ scouting miss? Well, myself and others were quick to point out after his selection that he is right hand dominant… if you look at his film from Clemson, you will see that he NEVER changed hands with the ball and that is like daring the defenses in the NFL to just take it away. Now, I don’t know if he was reluctant or just couldn’t break the habit (it’s not as easy as just saying switch hands with the ball when a defender comes at you from here or there)… but Gailey is smart enough (and numbers show) that he was an easy target for a turnovers at the NFL level. It was apparently a concern enough that Gailey is still mentioning it now. So, all I’m saying is… you can’t put a guy on the field as often or design plays focused on a player who you feel is likely to cough up the ball. I expect CJ to develop this ability… or else he will not achieve Jamal Charles status. If he does indeed learn to keep the ball on the opposite side of his body from defenders (and securely)… then he’ll prove more than worth #9 pick by 2012 and beyond.
DC Chocolate City!
He will improve....
running backs are a dime a dozen!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don’t believe that saying for a moment, just like other positions there will be high picks that bomb while others that were drafted in the latter rounds excel. Give CJ some time to develop and he will become productive, the hardest thing for a rookie RB to to learn is pass protection and for some protecting the ball.
Just remember OJ struggled in his first few years then excelled!
.
"It ain't supposed to make sense. It's faith. Faith is something you believe that nobody in his right mind would believe."
- Archie Bunker, "All In The Family"
He did…but wasn’t that because they tried to use him as a receiver out of the backfield instead as a pure runner? (Someone please correct me if I’m wrong…which knowing this community someone(s) will :) )
by maestro110584 on Feb 25, 2011 9:27 AM EST up reply actions
Coach Rauch
they tried to use him as a receiver out of the backfield instead as a pure runner
He had thoughts of making the Juice a Flanker but was more disappointed in Juice inability to pass block and his then lack of receiving skills. The Juice flourished after Lou Saban was brought back and centered the offense around his running ability.
"It ain't supposed to make sense. It's faith. Faith is something you believe that nobody in his right mind would believe."
- Archie Bunker, "All In The Family"
Running backs aren’t a dime a dozen, no. Shawn Bryson, Sammy Morris. Some other small guy they used in the early part of the last decade. Those are players who weren’t cut out to be featured backs, yet Buffalo relied on them before landing Henry.
However, there is a greater chance a team succeeds with ANY drafted running back than there is with most other positions. So taking a guy in the first is often thought of as unnecessary when you may get very similar production out of a guy from the 4th round and later.
My hope is that Spiller’s career plays out like Darren McFadden. McFadden was looking like a complete bust. Then he woke up.
In the year two thousaaaaaaand.
In the year two thousAAAAAAND!
Current song recommendation: Ween "Mr. Richard Smoker"
by TheAfghanTwilight on Feb 25, 2011 9:32 AM EST up reply actions
Two things:
1) Spiller needs to improve in pass-protection and be much more decisive when carrying the ball (as Gailey so correctly mentions); too often he hesitated which resulted in a lot of lost yards for him and the Bills. That’s a natural thing for young, speedy RB’s coming from college – Spiller is an ideal fit for a one-cut system where the O-line blocks to one side and then the RB has to choose a gap to run through.
2) Gailey needs to be much better at using him. For all the positive things that was rightfully said about Chan and his innovative thinking offensively, he didn’t utilize Spiller well enough. He needs to be more consistent when using C.J. and not just run Fred all day even though we were quite successful with that, too. The bottom line is C.J. has the potential to break a long run any time and that’s something our offense desperately needs and something Fred doesn’t with all due respect adds to the table.
by BuffaloBeliever on Feb 25, 2011 9:40 AM EST reply actions
I think part of the problem Spiller had
was the small holes in the NFL that he couldn’t find or was used to running through. In college he had pretty decent sized holes and once he got past the line he was gone.
Our line is pretty mediocre, not horrible like they were in years past but just lacking in overall size and strength. That is why the passing game did so well and the running game did so poorly. Passing the ball Fitz was told to make quick pre-snap reads and the line only needed to hold their block for 3-4 seconds. Compare that to the offenses past or other offenses in the league like the Colts, Pats, and Texans their routes are deeper and their blocks usually need to be around 6-7 seconds. This may not seem like a whole lot but for anybody that has played football before an extra 3-4 seconds is a long time in a game.
However their real flaws showed in the running game. They consistently were either being held up at the line or being pushed back. They were not the mauler-type driving their guys 10 yds down field or kicking them out to open up holes in the middle. They were just too undersized and weak compared to the defensive lineman and linebackers this past year. Holes weren’t being opened up and CJ (who’s not used to running in tight spaces) suffered as a result. Teams like the Jets, Ravens, and Vikings all have big lineman who are capable of moving a big 320 lb. DT, we do not. So we just need to get a little bigger up front and the lanes will come and so will CJ’s stats.
And yes I know Jackson did have more success with the same line but he is not the same type of back as CJ. He knows how to cut it up and find a hole that’s hardly there. He does this better than anyone else in the league in my opinion and that is why I love Freddy.
"I promise you, ... When I come back, I'm going to be like a mad dog in a meat house." -Takeo Spikes
holes..
I thought spiller did a good job after week 8 running standard running plays and I think he’ll get better.
they have to put him in motion and get a LB wacthing him and get him the ball past the line of scrimmage this year.
Also, not only was spiller bad at pass blocking, Fred is awesome! Fred also had a lot to do with keeping spiller off the field. I hope they don’t take too plays away from fred cause he is awesome! I hope they use them both on the field a lot.
go bills!
PodunkO - The great post ender!
by podunkowego on Feb 25, 2011 10:01 AM EST up reply actions
Yeah he needs more space until they get bigger up front. I’m not saying the O-line is the cause of all of his problems but it is a factor, and it certainly shouldn’t be priority number 1. A year ago Freddy was the worst pass blocking RB in the league, this year he was much imporved so hopefully CJ can learn how to get better as well. Also if our offense gets better then they stay on the field longer meaning more reps for both guys hopefully.
"I promise you, ... When I come back, I'm going to be like a mad dog in a meat house." -Takeo Spikes
by panekattack on Feb 25, 2011 10:11 AM EST up reply actions
Right on
Agreed with the whole comment.
Spiller is a guy like Chris Johnson — they run around people, not over them. They need seams or edges to get going. Otherwise, they’re lucky to pick up a yard or two.
We need better blocking schemes to set up CJ, maybe employing some creative TE pulls or something.
For all the disappointment surrounding Spiller’s first season, I think it’s important to remember that the guy is flat out uncatchable once he’s free. I’m excited to see what he can do next year (fingers crossed that there is a next year).
“flat out uncatchable once he’s free” was the case in college. We’re not sure yet what the truth is in the NFL.
In the year two thousaaaaaaand.
In the year two thousAAAAAAND!
Current song recommendation: Ween "Mr. Richard Smoker"
by TheAfghanTwilight on Feb 25, 2011 1:26 PM EST up reply actions
we've seen flashes of it
unfortunately they are few and far between. He needs to do it on a consistent basis and he needs big holes to do it so we’ll see what happens.
"I promise you, ... When I come back, I'm going to be like a mad dog in a meat house." -Takeo Spikes
by panekattack on Feb 25, 2011 10:35 PM EST up reply actions
Agree completely
And good comparison with CJ and Chris Johnson. They are very similiar in running styles and needs like you said. Hopefully they can find ways to open up a few more holes for him next year. We’ve seen flashes of his “flat out uncatchable-ness” but they were too few and far between for people to remember. We’ll see what changes they make next year.
"I promise you, ... When I come back, I'm going to be like a mad dog in a meat house." -Takeo Spikes
by panekattack on Feb 25, 2011 10:37 PM EST up reply actions
Why I like Gailey
This is why I “approve” of Gailey… He calls it like it is, not much spin-doctoring from him. Nix on the other hand…
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this:
It didn’t work out like everybody planned – he planned, I planned, any fan out there planned – it didn’t work out like any of us had planned,"
"...You play to win the game. Hello? You play to win the game. You don't play it to just play it. That's the great thing about sports: you play to win, and I don't care if you don't have any wins. You go play to win. When you start tellin' me it doesn't matter, then retire. Get out! 'Cause it matters." ~ Herm Edwards
"Talk's cheap. We all know that. It's like I've always said: 'Don't tell me about the labor pains, just show me the baby.' " ~ Buddy Nix
by Jason from OH-IO on Feb 25, 2011 9:51 AM EST reply actions
Consider this article from the KC Star
http://chiefsblog.kansascity.com/?q=node/1674
‘The big thing for (Charles) was ball security,’’ Gailey said today at the NFL’s scouting combine in Indianapolis. "Where he was his first year was very similar to where C.J. was this past year. The similarities are striking. He learned to hold on to the football, Jamaal did. If C.J. can, I think he’ll have some big years.’’
That article is linked in this one already.
Editor-in-Chief, BUFFALO RUMBLINGS®
@BrianGalliford
by Brian Galliford on Feb 25, 2011 10:09 AM EST up reply actions
Im not worried
I dont judge a rookie by his first season, especially when he has to beat out Fred Jackson for a job. Thats not easy.
i’m sure i’m going to regret this conversation… but what the hell - J2
If it was a "getting to know you year"
then it makes Spiller at 9 even more of a luxury pick.
Gailey says “getting to know you year” as if he knew that was going to be the case. He says it like he knew Spiller couldn’t possibly be successful based on the circumstances.
If he knew this, why use that pick on Spiller?
Chan
I appreciate Gailey’s candor in these interviews. It seems that during the season it’s impossible to get anything of substance out of coaches, but Chan’s openness is such a relief, and if it’s an extension of his personality and coaching philosophy (as I believe), the Bills are in good hands. The guy’s good with offenses, and I truly believe that he’ll put Spiller into a position to be successful, if he hasn’t already…but it’s up to CJ to improve ball security and blitz pickup in order to get more playing time.
GLOBAL INTERNET GOVERNMENT
spiller needs to be alittle more pacient and wait alittle more for the hole to open up, i think that instead of trying to speed his way out of a hole he should do what freddy does does and kinda finese this way through
I hear this over and over, yet all I observed of Spiller last year was hesitancy. He was hesitant to get his motor going, and hesitant to hit the hole. I think Spiller got in his own head too much.
In the year two thousaaaaaaand.
In the year two thousAAAAAAND!
Current song recommendation: Ween "Mr. Richard Smoker"
by TheAfghanTwilight on Feb 25, 2011 1:06 PM EST up reply actions
Spillers problem was
he got to the whole before it was there. Most cases it wasn’t a hole but a seam. Also, he never read the second level blockers. He needed more patience. He would get to the lane before the hole opened when nothing was there he ran to the outside. He needs time to allow the whole to materialize and then kick off the second level blocks. His speed is there, just maybe to much.
YOU ARE OUT of you kuku fufu mine craker laker Flaber baber FUNKI chunki brain. WE want to winn every year -- abayarde
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