What Do the Buffalo Bills Do Without C.J. Spiller, Fred Jackson?

Every head coach must be prepared to deal with an injury at a key position. Few head coaches can be prepared to deal with two injuries at the same position in the same quarter of a game.

The Buffalo Bills still have not made an official announcement on the prognosis for running back Fred Jackson—though he told WGR 550 Buffalo that his groin injury has a four-week timetable for recovery. The Bills announced on Tuesday that their other running back, C.J. Spiller, has been placed on injured reserve-designated to return with a collarbone injury and is done until Week 16 at the earliest, per NFL rules.

Some might call it coming up snake-eyes, but if dice had a seventh, blank side, the Bills would have probably landed on that, too. 

So, the Bills can safely skip Plan B and go straight to Plans C and D—and possibly E.

What exactly will that be? It's still unclear. The plan will certainly involve some combination of running backs Anthony "Boobie" Dixon and Bryce Brown. But Bills head coach Doug Marrone is taking a wait-and-see approach, and the plan could change or be consistent week to week, depending on the results.

"I think, first we've got to get the plan together. We really haven't started because we just officially got done with the past game," Marrone said on Monday. "We'll just see what gives us the best opportunity and then we'll just watch them in practice. I think we have a good feel for what Boobie can do in games. Bryce, we have a good feel for what he can do in practice and a little bit of a feel of what he’s been able to accomplish in games, because we've watched a bunch of that.

"We'll just see, game plan-wise, what we need and how the week goes and then we'll seeing how to attack them. Once the game goes, if something's working better then we'll stick with that."

Where Jackson and Spiller were effective for their similarities, Dixon and Brown can be effective as perfect complements to one another. Dixon earned most of his game experience this season against the Chicago Bears, when he had five carries for 60 yards and a long carry of 47 yards. He repeatedly showed the balance and toughness to fight through contact to pick up extra yards.

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

He could have been stopped on this six-yard run with 10:21 left in the second quarter, but his low pad level allowed him to drive through contact, keep his balance and gain extra yards.

Every backfield needs a bruiser, so perhaps Dixon should change his nickname from Boobie to Brody. 

Just don't pigeon hole him and short-change his abilities in other areas of the game.

"I want to show people what I could do in college and high school," Dixon said, according to Sal Maiorana of the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. "I feel like I really didn't get labeled right coming out of college. People tried to do something else with me, make me somebody that I really wasn't. ...Put me in short-yardage, say I couldn't run routes or I ain't got hands. I don't see what they're seeing. I'm ready for the opportunity."

It's a good thing, too, because the Bills are not nearly the running football team they once were.

Year	Pass plays	Run plays
2013	258	240
2014	275	175

The Bills finished the 2013 season with more rushing attempts (34.1 attempts per game) than any other team and the second-most rushing yards in the league (144.2 yards per game).

Some of the change may be due to the change at quarterback—suffice to say, EJ Manuel is slightly more mobile and athletic than Kyle Orton—but some of it may be philosophy.

One thing the Bills backs have been asked to do more this year is catch the football. Jackson currently ranks second on the team in receptions with 33, while Spiller ranks fifth with 14.

Although we haven't seen as much of Brown in a Bills uniform, there's a feeling he could thrive in a role as a pass-catcher. He hasn't been a big piece of a passing game as a receiver yet in his career, with only 21 career receptions to his name, but Marrone believes his skill set lends to success in the passing game.

"He's quick. He can make people miss. He's good in the passing game," Marrone said. "He can hit all of the different holes. He can make all the runs, so I'm very happy with him. That's the reason why he was here, in case something happened."

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

Brown's quickness jumps off the page the minute you start watching footage of him in a Philadelphia Eagles uniform from 2012-2013. On this play, he didn't show off that elusiveness until after showing some toughness by breaking an arm tackle from an Oakland Raiders defender (circled in red). Immediately after bouncing off the contact, Brown spotted an unblocked defender in front of him and had the balance, quickness and presence of mind to make the move.

Because of those traits, Brown was able to gain 32 yards on a run that some less agile backs may have gained only four or five yards on.

Of course, his athleticism makes him an intriguing back on passing downs.

In 2013, Brown played on 95 run snaps and 105 pass snaps; as a rookie in 2012, he played on 133 run snaps and 213 pass snaps. Clearly, he is more than capable of carrying his weight on all three downs.

Marrone even thinks Brown and Dixon could be interchangeable. 

"Everyone is a little bit different, but if you had to generalize it then I would say that that could work right there," Marrone said. "You can see a lot of the same type of characteristics. I think the one thing that's never been talked about with Fred has been his—I shouldn't say that; you guys have mentioned it—his ability to catch the football and get positive yardage. He was very big in our passing game for what we were doing. I think that's something that we hope to gain somewhere, as we go through this week."

Some might say Brown and Dixon are apples and oranges, but they may actually be closer to peas and carrots.

But those aren't the only two backs on the roster anymore, after the Bills signed former Dallas Cowboys running back Phillip Tanner (announced concurrently with C.J. Spiller being placed on IR-DTR). Tanner has not been a dynamic back in his career, with only 149 yards on 56 carries (2.7 YPA) and one touchdown to his name.

He has never had a carry of longer than 17 yards.

But with Dixon and Brown in the backfield, Tanner may not be expected to carry a significant load—though he is one injury away from having an expanded role.

Interchangeability on offense breeds unfamiliarity for a defense; if both Dixon and Brown can do anything, how can a defense know what to expect? That aspect in and of itself will help the Bills as they move on from Spiller and Jackson. The Bills will be a patchwork backfield for the time being, but they have the depth to remain successful on the ground.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained via team news release and all stats obtained via Pro Football Focus' premium section (subscription required).

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