Bills: Spiller Not Interested In Excuses

We’re six weeks into the NFL season and it’s safe to say that 2014 has been a nightmare for Buffalo Bills running back C.J. Spiller.  Once regarded a franchise player, Spiller’s rapidly evolving into an afterthought for a Bills offense that can’t seem to the find their way in the running game.

2014 reached a low point for Spiller last Sunday after seeing just 12 offensive snaps and finishing with 19 yards on six carries against New England. The 12 snaps were the fewest Spiller’s taken in almost three years, and it’s not just the Patriots that have kept him in check—Spiller was held to 10 yards on eight carries seven days earlier in Detroit and hasn’t had a 70-yard rushing game this season.

It’s a far cry from last year when he had four, 100-yard rushing efforts and especially 2012; a campaign where Spiller ran for 1,244 yards and add 459 more through the air.

He’s currently on pace to conclude 2014 with a mere 624 yards on the ground, and his role in the offense is starting to look eerily familiar to his first two seasons when then head coach Chan Gailey didn’t have a clue on how to properly use him.

Despite the frail production, Bills head coach Doug Marrone said during his presser on Wednesday he’s not losing confidence in the former first-rounder out of Clemson.

“I would say that I’m definitely not losing confidence," Marrone said.  "I think that happens when everything is right there and the play is right there for you and then someone doesn’t make the play or take the play or finish the block. At any position, when it is right and you’re not doing it then that becomes a problem and that’s when coaches start making decisions and moving different guys to see who’s going to take it. I haven’t seen that yet. We haven’t been in a great situation. Now, are there little things that everyone can do? Even Fred (Jackson)? Even Anthony Dixon? Absolutely and that’s what we’re constantly coaching, constantly trying to get better."

Whether the belief in Spiller is there or not, clearly the production isn’t. After averaging 4.6 yards per carry last season and an absurd 6.0 in 2012, his 3.4 yards average this year is by far a career-low.

That’s not exactly where Spiller wants to be in a contract year.  While nothing’s set in stone, his departure from the organization upon season’s feels like a formality.  Buffalo traded a fourth-round pick for Bryce Brown, who’s yet to see the field this year and looks like a 2014 insurance policy in case a back ahead of him on the depth chart goes down.  That includes Fred Jackson and Anthony Dixon; two backs Marrone and offensive coordinator seem Nate Hackett seem increasingly more comfortable with than Spiller.

It’s not just Spiller struggling in the backfield, as the Bills running game as a whole has taken a big step back from last year. After finishing second in the NFL in  rushing last year Buffalo has plummeted to 21st in 2014.

Marrone thinks schemes and not having Spiller in a position to make more plays is at least part of the problem.

"We’re looking at those things right now. Yes. The answer is yes to that,” he said. “We think that we can and it’s our responsibility and our job to put them in better position."

For his part, Spiller isn’t engrossed in excuses.

“We can’t keep coming in each and every week saying, ‘We have to fix this, fix that.” Spiller said. “We have to do it quickly because sooner or later the season will be over so we want to make sure we’re up and running when that cold weather hits here.”

Spiller’s teammate Fred Jackson concurs and says it’s on all the running backs to step up.

“I think you have got to give the defenses that we have played credit, they’re good defenses,” Jackson said. “They came in to stop the run and they’ve done that. It’s on us to meet that challenge, whenever we play a team they’re going to try and stop the run, they’re going to do what they can to keep C.J. and I and Boobie (Dixon) from getting going. That’s just a challenge on us we have to be better at. For us to win games, it’s what we know we have to attack and be better at.”

With Brown in waiting and Spiller producing far below his standards, there’s been at least a few rumblings that Spiller could be on the trading block before the NFL deadline, less than two weeks away.   While Spiller told Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News on Wednesday that he wants to stay in Buffalo, he understands the business side of things.

“This organization is going to do what’s best for the organization to be in position to win ball games and win championships,” Spiller told Skurski . “I want to be involved in that, be a part of that here at Buffalo, but if this organization decides to go in a different direction, I won’t have any bad feelings at all. That’s part of the business. I want to be a Bill.”

The Bills and Spiller in particular hope to get the running game right on Sunday when they host the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings enter Sunday 20^th in the league against the run, allowing 118 yards per game.