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Open Field Tackling of C.J. Spiller Will Be Important

I think the way the Jets tackle C.J. Spiller in the open field is going to be very important in Sunday's game. I would not be surprised to see the Bills try and make extensive use of him in the screen game for a few reasons. It will be up to the Jets to get him on the ground.

Many Bills fans feel Spiller has been disappointing in his young career, but there is no denying he is a speedy homerun threat. With Fred Jackson's injury, he is going to see extensive playing time so it behooves Buffalo to put him in a position to maximize his ability.

I would also imagine Buffalo will look to utilize Spiller to take pressure off Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Bills have an offense built around short passes. Fitzpatrick has a tendency at times to force the ball to his second option when his first read is covered. That was a problem against the Jets in the first meeting because of the cover skills of New York's corners. The Bills might want to use the backs more to limit Fitzpatrick's mistakes. Jackson was also an excellent pass protecting back, an area where Spiller is a bit more raw. Passes to Spiller are quick and take out the pass rush.

Thus the Jets will need to use sound fundamentals tackling Spiller. Buffalo is not a big play offense. They do not frequently try and push it down the field. Big plays can result, however, as a result of big runs.