Ridley Fumbles - Let's not let facts get in the way

[tombonneau]

It always bugs me that people go on and on about Ridley's fumbles like he is the only RB in the NFL that fumbles. Yes, fumbling is bad, but is there another RB in the NFL who has this kind of microscope on him every time he fumbles? It's insanity and pure Boston media at its best.

I took at look at fumbles for NFL RBs and broke it down as % of carries. (I looked at fumbles, not fumbles lost as it's random chance after that whether it's recovered or not.)

21 NFL RBs have 2 or 3 fumbles on the season. Of those with 100+ carries, Ridley is in the top 5 with fumble %, but where is the outcry for benching Bush, Tate, Spiller, Jackson, etc. over their fumbles? None of these RBs have "fumbling problems" its just the negative Boston media combined with Ridley fumbles being magnified by circumstance. The guy has a ball protection issue but it's not like its out of control. A little perspective never hurts.

Player	 Carries 	Fumbles	%
*Alfonso Smith	18	2	11.11%
*Johnathan Franklin	19	2	10.53%
*Ronnie Hillman	40	2	5.00%
*Peyton Hillis	43	2	4.65%
*David Wilson	44	2	4.55%
*Danny Woodhead	64	2	3.13%
*Montee Ball	68	2	2.94%
*Rashard Mendenhall	117	3	2.56%
*Ben Tate	122	3	2.46%
*C.J. Spiller	123	3	2.44%
*Stevan Ridley	131	3	2.29%
*Fred Jackson	141	3	2.13%
*Reggie Bush	145	3	2.07%
*DeMarco Murray	111	2	1.80%
*Jamaal Charles	186	3	1.61%
*Adrian Peterson	194	3	1.55%
*Marshawn Lynch	208	3	1.44%
*Ray Rice	140	2	1.43%
*DeAngelo Williams	141	2	1.42%
*Frank Gore	175	2	1.14%
*Alfred Morris	181	2	1.10%

 

[dales804]

*See's Montee Ball on the list and prays for a turnover on Sunday night*

 

[Patnut]

Lets hope it stays at 3 fumbles after the last game. He worries me in the cold weather.

 

[signbabybrady]

You are definitely correct that the microscope appears to be stronger here but I am not sure this is the medias fault and not a combination of BBs philosophy and the guy that Ridley is following.

I think BB makes a bigger deal about ball control with his RBs than other teams do not that all teams dont emphasize ball protection but I think other teams would rather see there backs take the chances for the big runs that might leave them at a little more risk of losing the ball.

But really more than anything if you follow a player who never fumbled then your fumbles will obviously stand out more than another guy on another team who may have a similar fumble percentage but maybe is an improvement of the back who carried before him in this area.

 

[SalemPats]

It's the timing of the fumbles that kills us. I think Vereen will be the guy because of his ability to play all 3 downs. If Ridley can improve his pass catching we could live with his turnovers

 

[coolguy]

My issue with ridley fumbles is he or the patriots never recover his fumbles.

 

[jah]

Agreed with both above posts. He fumbles at the worst possible times and the Patriots never recover it.

 

[chasa]

part of the reason is before he was the main back we had a guy who went years without a fumble.

 

[Ring 6]

Agreed with both above posts. He fumbles at the worst possible times and the Patriots never recover it.

You can't really fumble at a good time, so thats really not much of an argument.
By defintion if you fumble it either sets the other team up on a short field or supposedly takes points off the board, or both in the midfield area.
As far as us never recovering his fumbles he has lost 5 of his 8 career fumbles, so that is a grand total of 1 more than expected.

 

[SalemPats]

You can't really fumble at a good time, so thats really not much of an argument.
By defintion if you fumble it either sets the other team up on a short field or supposedly takes points off the board, or both in the midfield area.
As far as us never recovering his fumbles he has lost 5 of his 8 career fumbles, so that is a grand total of 1 more than expected.

The Bills fumble nearly cost us the game, the Carolina fumble was in the red-zone, Steelers was early in the 3rd. Last year the turning point of the Ravens game was Ridley's fumble, we were finally moving the ball on that drive. In addition the San Fran game fumble nearly cost us a 1st round bye. There's a reason BB benches him

 

[PatsDeb]

I'm worried about the fumbles, but it is a mistake to bench the guy for this game, or any part of it. And, I know I sound like a broken record, but if they had given him the ball on 3rd & 1 right before the Pats settled for a FG to go ahead in the game against the Panthers, I believe he would have gotten the 1st down, we had a good chance of scoring the TD that we desperately needed, we would have run more time off the clock, and we would have won the game. Bad coaching mistakes, including not using Ridley there and heave-ho-ing it into the endzone. Sigh. I need to move on, and so does BB.

 

[PatsFan2]

It always bugs me that people go on and on about Ridley's fumbles like he is the only RB in the NFL that fumbles. Yes, fumbling is bad, but is there another RB in the NFL who has this kind of microscope on him every time he fumbles? It's insanity and pure Boston media at its best.

I took at look at fumbles for NFL RBs and broke it down as % of carries. (I looked at fumbles, not fumbles lost as it's random chance after that whether it's recovered or not.)

21 NFL RBs have 2 or 3 fumbles on the season. Of those with 100+ carries, Ridley is in the top 5 with fumble %, but where is the outcry for benching Bush, Tate, Spiller, Jackson, etc. over their fumbles? None of these RBs have "fumbling problems" its just the negative Boston media combined with Ridley fumbles being magnified by circumstance. The guy has a ball protection issue but it's not like its out of control. A little perspective never hurts.

Player	 Carries 	Fumbles	%
*Alfonso Smith	18	2	11.11%
*Johnathan Franklin	19	2	10.53%
*Ronnie Hillman	40	2	5.00%
*Peyton Hillis	43	2	4.65%
*David Wilson	44	2	4.55%
*Danny Woodhead	64	2	3.13%
*Montee Ball	68	2	2.94%
*Rashard Mendenhall	117	3	2.56%
*Ben Tate	122	3	2.46%
*C.J. Spiller	123	3	2.44%
*Stevan Ridley	131	3	2.29%
*Fred Jackson	141	3	2.13%
*Reggie Bush	145	3	2.07%
*DeMarco Murray	111	2	1.80%
*Jamaal Charles	186	3	1.61%
*Adrian Peterson	194	3	1.55%
*Marshawn Lynch	208	3	1.44%
*Ray Rice	140	2	1.43%
*DeAngelo Williams	141	2	1.42%
*Frank Gore	175	2	1.14%
*Alfred Morris	181	2	1.10%

On that list are some Great Game Changing RB's who can take it to the house at any moment. Ridley sad to say is not in their class, he's a Good RB which is not to be confused with Great.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Fumbling is unacceptable period, i don't care who else does it in the NFL, it's a momentum killer.

 

[tombonneau]

You are definitely correct that the microscope appears to be stronger here but I am not sure this is the medias fault and not a combination of BBs philosophy and the guy that Ridley is following.

I think BB makes a bigger deal about ball control with his RBs than other teams do not that all teams dont emphasize ball protection but I think other teams would rather see there backs take the chances for the big runs that might leave them at a little more risk of losing the ball.

But really more than anything if you follow a player who never fumbled then your fumbles will obviously stand out more than another guy on another team who may have a similar fumble percentage but maybe is an improvement of the back who carried before him in this area.

I agree, should have added that the anchoring effect of following BJGE really hurt him as it created an expectation of 0 fumbles. And of course, BJGE went on to Cincy and *shocker* fumbled.

 

[tombonneau]

*See's Montee Ball on the list and prays for a turnover on Sunday night*

Ronnie Hillman is near the top as well.

 

[PatsFan2]

You are definitely correct that the microscope appears to be stronger here but I am not sure this is the medias fault and not a combination of BBs philosophy and the guy that Ridley is following.

I think BB makes a bigger deal about ball control with his RBs than other teams do not that all teams dont emphasize ball protection but I think other teams would rather see there backs take the chances for the big runs that might leave them at a little more risk of losing the ball.

But really more than anything if you follow a player who never fumbled then your fumbles will obviously stand out more than another guy on another team who may have a similar fumble percentage but maybe is an improvement of the back who carried before him in this area.

His Fumbles in Buffalo and Carolina was of the careless variety if he had held on to the Football more securely we wouldn't be having this conversation.

 

[dales804]

Ronnie Hillman is near the top as well.

Ha! I didn't even notice. I hope to see Patriots defenders taking some hard swipes at the ball when those DEN RB's are in possession of the ball.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

... if he has held on to the Football more securely we wouldn't be having this conversation.

But, isn't that the whole point? He didn't, so we are.

 

[Ring 6]

The Bills fumble nearly cost us the game, the Carolina fumble was in the red-zone, Steelers was early in the 3rd. Last year the turning point of the Ravens game was Ridley's fumble, we were finally moving the ball on that drive. In addition the San Fran game fumble nearly cost us a 1st round bye. There's a reason BB benches him

Like I said, you can take any fumble and call it critical.
You just called a fumble devastating because it was early in the 3rd quarter.

 

[Wheelman]

Last year the turning point of the Ravens game was Ridley's fumble, we were finally moving the ball on that drive.

Oh come on! How can anyone even blame that fumble on Ridley? He was KO'ed!