Spiller and Watkins

[Don't Panic]

While this team still has some very obvious concerns, I see no reason that these two shouldn't be total studs this year. Their talent is elite for their positions. The line is improved to a point where they should be able to get in a position to make big plays on a frequent basis. Watkins should honestly be able to help free up things for Spiller more so than at any point since he has been as a Bill. Manuel honestly needs to be no more than average to get optimal production from the two of them. Hackett just needs to get out of his own way and not call plays in a counter-intuitive manner. If either of those prove to be the issue (which they very well could), then it will be a huge disappointment because I really think we are sitting on two gems here and that offensive production will be the difference between 6-10 and 10-6. There's no reason at the end of the year that their numbers shouldn't look like this:

Watkins - 70 catches, 1100 yards, 8 TDs
Spiller - 1500 total yards, 12 TDs

No excuses this year... maximize production for these two and get a near top 10 performance out of our D and we have a real chance at ending this thing. Fail and Hackett and Manuel's backsides are on the line.

[Novacane]

While this team still has some very obvious concerns, I see no reason that these two shouldn't be total studs this year. Their talent is elite for their positions. The line is improved to a point where they should be able to get in a position to make big plays on a frequent basis. Watkins should honestly be able to help free up things for Spiller more so than at any point since he has been as a Bill. Manuel honestly needs to be no more than average to get optimal production from the two of them. Hackett just needs to get out of his own way and not call plays in a counter-intuitive manner. If either of those prove to be the issue (which they very well could), then it will be a huge disappointment because I really think we are sitting on two gems here and that offensive production will be the difference between 6-10 and 10-6. There's no reason at the end of the year that their numbers shouldn't look like this:

Watkins - 70 catches, 1100 yards, 8 TDs
Spiller - 1500 total yards, 12 TDs

No excuses this year... maximize production for these two and get a near top 10 performance out of our D and we have a real chance at ending this thing. Fail and Hackett and Manuel's backsides are on the line.



Hackett and EJ

[sudzy]

Hackett and EJ

That's were I was going too.

[TacklingDummy]

Hackett and EJ

More EJ.

Teams won't respect the passing game making it that much harder to run the ball.

Plus he'll get injured as usual.

[Mr. Miyagi]

Yes but the other way around works as well. Teams don't respect the pass and key on the run, opening up lanes for EJ to pass to a wide open Sammy. I can see that too.

[Novacane]

Yes but the other way around works as well. Teams don't respect the pass and key on the run, opening up lanes for EJ to pass to a wide open Sammy. I can see that too.


You mean overthrow a wide open Sammy!

[Novacane]

Or get sacked cause he can't decided if Sammy is open enough. Or dump it down to Freddie cause Sammy is open past 10 yds from the LOS

[Skooby]

EJ's health may have the most to do with how we end up doing this season.

[The Jokeman]

EJ's health may have the most to do with how we end up doing this season.

Yet things look a little better now that we have Orton as a backup just incase EJ does get hurt.

[BillsOverDolphins]

I hope EJ does get hurt so we can see our WR's get the looks they deserve.

[stuckincincy]

Dirty looks?

[OpIv37]

So you think Spiller and Watkins will have 20 TD's this season? We will be lucky if the whole offense scores that many.

[The Jokeman]

So you think Spiller and Watkins will have 20 TD's this season? We will be lucky if the whole offense scores that many.

I think if they get 9 TDs combined it's possible. Again people need to have realistic expectations of Watkins, he's a rookie that is going to be competing with Williams and Woods for playing time. I think if we get 40 catches 500 yards and 3 TDs from him it's a successful season. Spiller is tough to gauge because he has the skills but injuries and Freddie Jackson play a big part of what he can do, I'm hoping 1100 yards rushing 300 receiving and 6 TDs.

[Generalissimus Gibby]

You bring a valid point. This team could have a winning record, maybe not playoffs, but a winning record if they would play to their strengths. Barring injury I like our running back committee. You'd think that if we didn't try to rely too heavily on the pass that we'd be a nice smash mouth, ball control, clock eating team that kept you off the field for 40 some odd minutes and when you focused on the run, you'd get burned by a zip to Watkins. This team should do this, unfortunately, this team won't do this and as a result we will spend the first 3 quarters going three and out and being kept alive by the D, and then the fourth quarter will role around, our D will be gassed and our O will continue to sputter. There's a reason I said 5-11 this year. Actually, I cannot even point to five games that are surefire wins.

[Don't Panic]

So you think Spiller and Watkins will have 20 TD's this season? We will be lucky if the whole offense scores that many.

You realize that's 9 points a game, right?

The point is what SHOULD happen. There's at least half the teams in th NFL where if they had these to guys hose kind of numbers would be the expectation. I think it should be here as well.

[OpIv37]

You realize that's 9 points a game, right?

The point is what SHOULD happen. There's at least half the teams in th NFL where if they had these to guys hose kind of numbers would be the expectation. I think it should be here as well.
9 points a game from offensive TD's. I didn't say anything about FG's or D/ST scoring.

I really do not expect this team to average more than one offensive TD a game. The OL sucks and EJ is clueless.

[stuckincincy]

9 points a game from offensive TD's. I didn't say anything about FG's or D/ST scoring.

I really do not expect this team to average more than one offensive TD a game. The OL sucks and EJ is clueless.

I'd say two if not more.

The NFL is committed to big points, lack of fireworks is an anathema, and if teams can't produce them themselves, the refs will.

[Don't Panic]

9 points a game from offensive TD's. I didn't say anything about FG's or D/ST scoring.

I really do not expect this team to average more than one offensive TD a game. The OL sucks and EJ is clueless.

Come on man... 1TD a game? That's ridiculous. You really believe that?

[BillsOverDolphins]

Come on man... 1TD a game? That's ridiculous. You really believe that?

I can easily see us averaging less than 2 offensive TD's per game by season's end.

[OpIv37]

Come on man... 1TD a game? That's ridiculous. You really believe that?

Yes, and it wouldn't be the first time for this team.

[YardRat]

I'm more concerned about the offensive line than I am the QB and OC. Not by a ton, but enough that it's #1 on my list.

[The Jokeman]

I'm more concerned about the offensive line than I am the QB and OC. Not by a ton, but enough that it's #1 on my list.

I agree with you the last two preseason games the offensive line struggled. I hope it's because people getting used to new positions (see Pears and Henderson) but they better be good against the Bears as even though they don't have Melton or Peppers they do have Jared Allen who is a decent pass rusher.

[starrymessenger]

I hope EJ does get hurt so we can see our WR's get the looks they deserve.

I would not wish injury on any player, but logically either EJ gets hurt or our wideouts will.
How many NFL teams are better off if their starter goes down?
Only the Buffalo Bills.

[Fletch]

While this team still has some very obvious concerns, I see no reason that these two shouldn't be total studs this year. Their talent is elite for their positions.

Spiller's not an elite talent, I don't know why some people claim that he is.

He's a role playing RB. He sucks on 3rd downs under any circumstances in Buffalo.

Watkins was great in camp but didn't show anything in preseason games.

Both players are similar, from the same team, same coach, second best team in an otherwise weak conference besides FSU, and their team played teams that generally speaking did not have the talent that Clemson did.

I'll need to see Watkins' transition his collegiate play to the NFL before becoming a believer. I expect that he'll be good, but I'm far from sold that he'll be a top-10 or even 15 WR in the league. The problem is that to justify his draft status anything less than top-5 or so and he'll have cost more than he's worth.

I couldn't help but notice that Watkins is also listed as a KR on TOS's depth chart. It'll be interesting to see if his speed and moves translate to the NFL there. Spiller's haven't, where Spiller excelled at Clemson.