VIEW FROM 122.....BUFFALO BILLS RUNNING BACKS

Column from the view of a Bills Season ticket holder in section 122

Fred and CJ can and will coexist

When Fred Jackson went down with a broken leg last season so did the hopes of the Buffalo Bills finally breaking their decade long playoff drought.  Jackson is the heart and soul of the Buffalo Bills.  He is a hard nosed, yet shifty runner with surprising speed.  At only 10 games into the season FredEX was already closing in on 1000 yards rushing and 500 receiving, and was on the short list for MVP on many voters’ ballots.  The Bills were already in a tailspin at that point but losing Jackson was the straw that broke the Buffalo’s back.

With Freddy J gone the Bills turned to a guy they drafted in the top 10 only a couple seasons earlier, but who had failed to impress thus far in CJ Spiller.  While Spiller is a completely different player he stepped in admirably.  In fact in his final 5 games he was explosive, busting off runs 20 yards at a time.  Many writers and fans, me included, questioned Buddy Nix and company on the Spiller pick.  We already had Beastmode and Jackson.  Why the need for ANOTHER running back.  It appears our questions were answered a bit with Marshawn Lynch’s DUI arrest earlier in the week.  The front office obviously realized Lynch was a time bomb ticking away at another suspension.

Now that the Bills have 2 established, dynamic running backs in the fold what is the outlook for 2012?  Many out there are acting as if this is a bad problem to have, speaking of running back controversies etc. etc.  I see this as an amazing opportunity for Chan Gailey’s offense.  He loves throwing out different looks and keeping defenses honest with quick hitting plays that get his play makers into space.  The real key here is that both backs possess great hands and route running skills.  While I am sure that both players want the lead back billing and the majority of the touches I see it being pretty even.  Think a 55-45 split in favor of Jackson.  This will keep both fresh in game and for the season and could be a nightmare for opposing defenses in 2012, and I can’t wait to be there in section 122 to witness it play out.