Posted by johnmurphyshow on November 14, 2012 – 7:45 pm

It’s going to be exciting to watch C.J. Spiller get his turn in the national spotlight against the Dolphins. But the Buffalo Bills know they will miss running back Fred Jackson when they take the field Thursday night.

Jackson, one of the Bills captains, will miss the game with the concussion he suffered last Sunday in New England.

His teammates, including Center Eric Wood, say Jackson’s absence is notable, even though it provides C.J. Spiller a chance to get the bulk of the running back workload.

“Fred’s one of the best players on our team,” Wood said Wednesday night on The John Murphy Show.

“ Everyone wants to compare him to C.J., and be upset that he’s taking carries away from C.J., but those are two of the best players on our team, regardless of position. You gotta get the ball in both of their hands. One of them might have the hot hand more than the other, and it’s easy to say, C.J. averages seven or eight yards a carry—give him the ball thirty times, and he’ll have 210-yards. I’m gonna bet that probably won’t be the case. And the way we’re using them, he’s extremely effective.”

Wood says he has no doubts Spiller can handle the extra carries, while Jackson is sidelined. He did it earlier this year when Jackson missed two games with a knee injury.

“I think C.J. is capable of carrying the load,” Wood said in his radio appearance. “I think he could start for most, if not all of the teams in this league. But he definitely benefits from playing with Fred Jackson.”

The John Murphy Show airs weeknights from 7-9pm on the flagship station of the Bills, WGR Sports Radio 550.

Tags: C.J. Spiller Posted in Inside the Bills