A-Train

[BILLSROCK1212]

Does anyone else think that A-Train should play more. He played a bit in the 1st game and scored a TD but since i dont recall him playing i think they need to give Willis a rest some time also we have to run it more inside the redzone idk y we arent running it more when that is how we are most succesful

[Mitchy moo]

Re: A-Train

Willis had 150 yards last game, we lost. If Willis gets tired A-train seems like a great option to keep running it.

[LifetimeBillsFan]

Re: A-Train

A-Train has looked pretty good when he has been in there, all things considered.

I'd like to see him used more like he was in the first game against the Pats, where he got to play a full series at a time--I think he is more effective when he gets enough plays in a row to get into a rhythm and gets better the more carries he gets.

Still, he has gotten playing time since then and I understand why the Bills have used him the way that they have.

As Jauron put it in one of his interviews, they are committed to McGahee as their starter, because he is such a weapon, and they want to make sure that he gets the ball enough for him to get on a roll. Since there are only so many possessions that a team is going to get in a game, that means that, depending on how many times the Bills get the ball in any given game, there are going to be some games when there aren't going to be enough possessions for the Bills to give A-Train more than one possession of playing time, if that, and still be able to get Willis the number of touches that he needs to get to be most effective.

Then, there's what I like to think of as "The Willis Factor": Willis is very good when he gets a number of touches in close succession and gets on a roll during a possession. But, depending on the weather (as in Miami) and how successful he has been on the field (as was the case last week), Willis will get tired or a little banged up sometimes when he is getting the ball a lot on a possession and will take himself out of the game for a couple of plays. After one or two plays on the sidelines, Willis is ready to go back into the game and usually does (can't blame the coaches for wanting to put the stud RB back in when he has been on a roll!). But, that means that his back-up, in this case, A-Train, has to go into the game for a couple of plays while McGahee is on the sidelines, but then comes out again right away and never gets a chance to get into any kind of rhythm himself. Because Willis will take himself out a couple of times a game, it makes it harder for the coaches to get McGahee the number of touches that they want him to get, cutting into the opportunities that they will have to give a full possession to his back-up and forces his back-up to play sporadically.

Because this is the way that Willis plays, it means that A-Train has to be ready to go into the game anytime that McGahee decides to come out, then goes into the game cold, plays one or two plays, and then comes out before he can get into any kind of rhythm himself. And, because the coaches want to make sure Willis gets the ball enough, it also means that the chances of them being able to give A-Train a full possession to play are significantly reduced. And, the result has been that, while A-Train has gotten playing time in the last two games, it has come in dribs and drabs and he has not gotten to play a full series--which has reduced his effectiveness.

With the kind of heat that there was in Miami, it is quite understandable that the Bills coaches would want to use A-Train to spell Willis for a play or two at a time and would not want to risk playing him for a full possession and then have him be too tired, himself, afterwards to spell McGahee if the heat took its toll and they needed to. Fair enough.

Personally, I thought the Bills would give Thomas a full possession or two against the Jets and was expecting them to, but they didn't. I think this was because, with Willis getting the ball as much as he did and being as effective as he was in the first half, McGahee took himself out of the game a couple of times. One time, I know, was after Willis had his 32 yard run--which followed a couple of other touches--and he was obviously winded and needed a break, so A-Train went in. And, considering that, even with those breaks, Willis carried the ball 18 times in the first half against the Jets, it was not unreasonable for him to need to take a couple of breaks during that half. But, that meant that, instead of getting to play a full series in that half, A-Train's playing time was split up again into small segments of a couple of plays at a time. In the second half, Willis only carried the ball 8 times and I think the Bills threw to him only on 3-4 other plays. That really wasn't enough for Willis to get into a rhythm, let alone get tired, and there really was no need or opportunity to use A-Train in that half.

I'd like to see the Bills try to control this week's game against the Vikings with their running game. If they try to do that, I am hoping and expecting that they will use A-Train more often. I'm not sure what kind of success the Bills will have or what kind of success A-Train has had against Minnesota in the past, but, if the Bills are able to run successfully and/or he has had some success against the Vikes, I'd like to see him get a full possession or two for himself. But, I think the Bills' coaches feel that Willis is their best weapon at this point and, as a result, it's going to be more a case of Willis determining when and how much A-Train gets to play than anything else. We'll see....

[RedEyE]

Re: A-Train

I think that McGahee has really increased some speed with the preseason weight loss, but his drop of weight makes him a liability in short yardage and red zone situations. I think we will see Thomas more in those types of plays. He is a power back that can get some big gains when the Bills really need him to.

I love the combo of Thomas and McGahee. It's that 1-2 punch that reminds me of Thurman and Kenny Davis in the days of old.

[YardRat]

Re: A-Train

I'd prefer to see Thomas in the game for full possessions, or at least a good chunk of the possessions when he spells McGahee. A couple back-to-back plays here and there just isn't enough for him to get into a rhythm on his own.

I also agree that he should be tried a little more often in the third and short situations...he's certainly no Bettis, but to me it appears he's quicker to the line and the hole than McGahee and that could be the difference between getting stopped or gaining the first down.