For the second time in three weeks C.J. Spiller found it to be difficult to find running lanes with the Jets run front the latest nemesis on Sunday. He also sustained a quad injury that robbed him of his power and explosion forcing him from the contest. Fortunately Spiller believes he'll be fine for this Sunday's home game against the Baltimore Ravens.
"I'm a little sore, but it shouldn't be nothing that'll keep me out this week," Spiller said Monday. "I should be feeling better, day by day, but just taking it slow. Just a little sore right now."
Spiller believes the injury occurred on a 1st-and-10 play at the Bills 31-yard line with 5:50 left in the first half. It was a carry for a one-yard loss as he was pushed back at the line of scrimmage with a few Jets defenders landing on top of him.
RB @CJSPILLER is out for the game with a knee injury. #BUFvsNYJ — Buffalo Bills (@buffalobills) September 22, 2013
"I tried to go back and look at it this morning and that's the only thing I can think of because it happened I want to say the play right before we hit Woods on the big 30-yard gain," said Spiller. "I felt it when I was running down limping. So that's the only time I can think of when it happened, so I looked at it, but couldn't really get a good shot or see exactly what happened, but I know that was the play."
Spiller tried to return to the game in the second half, but after a carry for no gain early in the third quarter his day was done.
"Yeah I mean starting that second half I wanted to try to give it a go and see how it felt," he said. "The biggest thing was just to try to keep it loose. I went out there and right before I told Fred, 'If I don't look like myself, come get me out of the game.' I just felt like I couldn't get any power or explosiveness to cut off my leg. Ultimately I just came out of the game.
"I'm not going to put my team in jeopardy of hurting them and then also I have to protect myself. The best thing for me to do was to swallow my pride at that moment and let my other guys go in there and fight."
Spiller had just 10 carries on the day for nine yards. Half of those carries went for no gain or a loss.
"I mean them guys they just had a good plan. Obviously I think during the game, I think their biggest thing was they wanted me to bounce it (outside)," Spiller said. "They were doing a great job of getting penetration and making some of the running lanes tough.
"Just looking at some of the film briefly, that game right there would've been just one of those games where I could've got like one or two yards (inside). For the most part they just had a good plan. They pretty much put a lot of people in the box and dared our passing game to beat them."
Spiller and the rest of the offense knows in a copycat league, that future opponents are going to continue to stack the box with eight defenders until Buffalo's passing game can prove they can make opponents pay for playing man coverage outside.
"We're not going to abandon our run. We'll know that going into the game that it'll be one of those one and two-yard gains a lot," he said. "Just like going against the Ravens it's going to be one of those games. These guys are tough, they're the Super Bowl champs and since they started their franchise they've been known for their defense. It's going to be one of those games where we're going to have to take what they give us."
Buffalo went with a split backfield on occasion Sunday against the Jets, but without great success. If the run game is stymied again this week against Baltimore, Spiller isn't sure what their counter move will be.
"You'll have to ask Coach Hackett," he said. "He'll try to figure out ways to get both of us on the field, get us in the slot or whatever. That's the only other way that I can think of. They're going to come in and try to stack the box. Our offensive linemen those guys they're battling. The Jets just had more guys than what we could block. So knowing that I just have to take it upon myself just like the other running backs to take what we can get."
Spiller intends to test his explosion in practice Wednesday to make sure he can effectively drive off his injured quad.
"I've got to make sure that it's ready to go. I have all the faith in my trainers," he said. "We'll look at it day to day and as of right now the plan is to see how it feels doing stuff, doing some treatment and everything necessary that I need to do to make sure I'm ready. Come Wednesday and Thursday ultimately a decision has to be made… more Thursday about if I'll be able to go, but I think I should be good."
