Buffalo Bills coach Chan Gailey isn't prepared to completely abandon the committee approach to his backfield, but he's inching closer day by day.
Gailey told reporters Wednesday that C.J. Spiller will start Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts, but he didn't shut the door on Fred Jackson seeing time.
"C.J. will start, but we're still going to play Fred," Gailey said. "It takes two. It does. So Fred will get quite a few snaps, but C.J. will start and get the majority of the snaps."
It's a move long overdue.
Spiller has been a revelation this season, creating an interesting dilemma for Gailey in Buffalo's backfield. When Jackson plays, he's a dynamic, powerful runner who generates mismatches against defenses. When Spiller's in, he's done everything Jackson can do, but his ceiling has been higher this season.
Too much of a good thing? Maybe. It's frustrating to watch Spiller and Jackson rotated in and out, sometimes preventing either from finding their rhythm, but Gailey clearly believes in using more than one back. We even saw Tashard Choice replace Spiller for maddening chunks of time in Thursday's win over the Miami Dolphins.
It remains to be seen what a "starting" back means to Gailey, but we're about to find out.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
