[h=1]The Bills' misuse of C.J. Spiller[/h][h=3]Snap counts reveal fantasy implications for Spiller, Vikings/Jets WRs[/h]
By Sam Monson | Pro Football Focus
With the 2012 NFL season winding down, let's take one more look inside the world of playing time and snap counts via the in-depth data at Pro Football Focus.
The NFL now makes basic snap data available to anyone willing to open a game book, but only Pro Football Focus can take you far deeper into those numbers and tell you what players were doing on any given snap, where they lined up and what it means.
As we get closer to the playoffs -- and deeper into the fantasy playoffs -- let's take a look at what snap counts tell us about fantasy implications surrounding the Bills' limited use of C.J. Spiller, how the Vikings have attempted to replace Percy Harvin and how the Jets have managed their wide receivers.
[h=3]The Bills' misuse of C.J. Spiller[/h]
The Bills' season has been far from ideal, but no part of it has run off the tracks more spectacularly than their misuse of Spiller, who has been on fire this season despite limited usage. Spiller has actually played a reasonable amount of snaps for the team, notching 465 snaps on the season, bettered by just 20 other running backs in the league. Plus, he's played more than 50 percent of the Bills' total offensive snaps.
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However, it is his workload that has been criminally neglected. While many backs find themselves passed over when the team elects to throw the ball, Spiller is a major part of the passing game. More than half of his snaps (272) have been on passing downs, compared to just 193 running plays -- yet 10 running backs have more receptions than he does this season. Even in his most recent game, when he played 58 of the 70 snaps the Bills ran on offense, he totaled just 22 touches.
This has been overlooked because Spiller is having a transcendent season, forcing missed tackles at a staggering rate and breaking off massive chunks of yardage at will. Adrian Peterson and Doug Martin co-lead the NFL with 60 missed tackles forced, but Spiller has forced 55 on just 198 total touches. That is a massive 121 fewer than the average of Martin and Peterson. The only thing the Bills can salvage from this season is to feed Spiller the ball as often as possible in their remaining games and watch the fireworks.
[h=3]Replacing Percy Harvin[/h]
The Vikings lost one of the most dynamic weapons in the NFL when Harvin was shut down for the season, and though Adrian Peterson has stepped up to carry the team in his absence, they still need somewhere to go with the ball when they pass. Despite playing just 427 snaps, Harvin still leads the team with 81 targets and 62 receptions, and was the Vikings' clear No. 1 passing option. But now that he is shut down for the season, who has replaced him and to whom have the Vikings thrown the football?
Tight end Kyle Rudolph is the next most targeted Viking, and he has been playing the vast majority of their snaps; however, there remains no clear-cut top receiver to take the mantle. Jarius Wright is the player who had been backing up Harvin and consequently spent most of his rookie season inactive on game days. Since bursting onto the scene against the Lions in Week 10, Wright has played at least 38 percent of the team's snaps each week, but his involvement and production has recently slipped. Michael Jenkins and Devin Aromashodu remain the starters, but Wright and Stephen Burton continue to see snaps, along with the depth players at tight end and running back. The bottom line is that the Vikings are waiting for somebody to step up and demand more playing time with big plays. So far, it hasn't happened.
[h=3]The Jets' WR 'supporting cast'[/h]
Anybody still left supporting Mark Sanchez will point to the wide receiver supporting cast that he has been left to work with, and there is no doubt that there have been some bottom-of-the-barrel players on display for the Jets this season. It speaks volumes that they can re-sign a player like Braylon Edwards, previously cut loose by the team after badmouthing the organization on Twitter, then play him 45 snaps in his first game back while targeting him more than any other Jets wideout.
Edwards was an immediate starter last week, but it was Jeremy Kerley who played the most snaps for the Jets at receiver, registering 57. Mardy Gilyard, another player who has bounced around the league, played 25 snaps -- all but five of them running a route on a passing down, and getting thrown to just twice. Clyde Gates and Chaz Schilens fell further down the receiving pecking order. Look for Braylon Edwards to start the rest of the season no matter who ends up passing the ball for the Jets.
Other PFF snap-count snippets
• No running back has played more snaps than Ray Rice, with 767.
• More than two-thirds of Jimmy Graham's snaps this season have been passing plays (486 of 609).
• Calvin Johnson may be leading the league in receiving yards, but he has run 53 more routes (a full game's worth) than the next player. Three receivers have gained more yards per route run than Johnson.
By Sam Monson | Pro Football Focus
With the 2012 NFL season winding down, let's take one more look inside the world of playing time and snap counts via the in-depth data at Pro Football Focus.
The NFL now makes basic snap data available to anyone willing to open a game book, but only Pro Football Focus can take you far deeper into those numbers and tell you what players were doing on any given snap, where they lined up and what it means.
As we get closer to the playoffs -- and deeper into the fantasy playoffs -- let's take a look at what snap counts tell us about fantasy implications surrounding the Bills' limited use of C.J. Spiller, how the Vikings have attempted to replace Percy Harvin and how the Jets have managed their wide receivers.
[h=3]The Bills' misuse of C.J. Spiller[/h]
The Bills' season has been far from ideal, but no part of it has run off the tracks more spectacularly than their misuse of Spiller, who has been on fire this season despite limited usage. Spiller has actually played a reasonable amount of snaps for the team, notching 465 snaps on the season, bettered by just 20 other running backs in the league. Plus, he's played more than 50 percent of the Bills' total offensive snaps.
<offer></offer>
However, it is his workload that has been criminally neglected. While many backs find themselves passed over when the team elects to throw the ball, Spiller is a major part of the passing game. More than half of his snaps (272) have been on passing downs, compared to just 193 running plays -- yet 10 running backs have more receptions than he does this season. Even in his most recent game, when he played 58 of the 70 snaps the Bills ran on offense, he totaled just 22 touches.
This has been overlooked because Spiller is having a transcendent season, forcing missed tackles at a staggering rate and breaking off massive chunks of yardage at will. Adrian Peterson and Doug Martin co-lead the NFL with 60 missed tackles forced, but Spiller has forced 55 on just 198 total touches. That is a massive 121 fewer than the average of Martin and Peterson. The only thing the Bills can salvage from this season is to feed Spiller the ball as often as possible in their remaining games and watch the fireworks.
[h=3]Replacing Percy Harvin[/h]
The Vikings lost one of the most dynamic weapons in the NFL when Harvin was shut down for the season, and though Adrian Peterson has stepped up to carry the team in his absence, they still need somewhere to go with the ball when they pass. Despite playing just 427 snaps, Harvin still leads the team with 81 targets and 62 receptions, and was the Vikings' clear No. 1 passing option. But now that he is shut down for the season, who has replaced him and to whom have the Vikings thrown the football?
Tight end Kyle Rudolph is the next most targeted Viking, and he has been playing the vast majority of their snaps; however, there remains no clear-cut top receiver to take the mantle. Jarius Wright is the player who had been backing up Harvin and consequently spent most of his rookie season inactive on game days. Since bursting onto the scene against the Lions in Week 10, Wright has played at least 38 percent of the team's snaps each week, but his involvement and production has recently slipped. Michael Jenkins and Devin Aromashodu remain the starters, but Wright and Stephen Burton continue to see snaps, along with the depth players at tight end and running back. The bottom line is that the Vikings are waiting for somebody to step up and demand more playing time with big plays. So far, it hasn't happened.
[h=3]The Jets' WR 'supporting cast'[/h]
Anybody still left supporting Mark Sanchez will point to the wide receiver supporting cast that he has been left to work with, and there is no doubt that there have been some bottom-of-the-barrel players on display for the Jets this season. It speaks volumes that they can re-sign a player like Braylon Edwards, previously cut loose by the team after badmouthing the organization on Twitter, then play him 45 snaps in his first game back while targeting him more than any other Jets wideout.
Edwards was an immediate starter last week, but it was Jeremy Kerley who played the most snaps for the Jets at receiver, registering 57. Mardy Gilyard, another player who has bounced around the league, played 25 snaps -- all but five of them running a route on a passing down, and getting thrown to just twice. Clyde Gates and Chaz Schilens fell further down the receiving pecking order. Look for Braylon Edwards to start the rest of the season no matter who ends up passing the ball for the Jets.
Other PFF snap-count snippets
• No running back has played more snaps than Ray Rice, with 767.
• More than two-thirds of Jimmy Graham's snaps this season have been passing plays (486 of 609).
• Calvin Johnson may be leading the league in receiving yards, but he has run 53 more routes (a full game's worth) than the next player. Three receivers have gained more yards per route run than Johnson.
