Ridley officially arrives at crossroads

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Tiki Barber is another example:

From 2000-03, Tiki Barber had a combined 35 fumbles, an average of nearly nine per season. When Coughlin took over for Fassel after the 2003 season, he had a meeting with Barber and explained his philosophy about fumbles in very simple, and very stark, terms.

"He said to me, 'If you're going to put the ball on the ground, you're not going to play,' " Barber said.

So the running back immediately got to work with running backs coach Jerald Ingram to address the problem. The operative phrase during that transformation was "high and tight," signifying the positioning of the ball as he ran. Barber would carry a football everywhere, holding it to his chest, with his hand up near his shoulder and his elbow down at around a 45-degree angle.

"I held it like that everywhere," Barber said. "I even do it now sometimes. I can't help but put it there in front of me. It became second nature. I even have to tell my kids, 'If you're going to carry the ball, you have to carry it like this.' "

Barber also added another technique to secure the ball. Once he sensed that he was about to be hit, he would take the hand that wasn't carrying the ball and hold onto his opposite wrist to further protect the ball and add a layer of strength to deal with opponents trying to rip the ball away.

"I'd run through the contact in a compact way," he said. "It allowed me to run through tackles better. My feet were close together, and I was more balanced. The unintended consequence of carrying the ball like that is that I became a more powerful runner."

Barber cured his own problem. In the final three seasons of his career, he fumbled a combined nine times, which is equal to the previous season alone. And his numbers improved, too. From 2000-03, he rushed for a combined 4,474 yards and 25 touchdowns. In his final three seasons, he ran for 5,040 yards and 27 touchdowns.

Tiki Barber knows how to fix David Wilson's fumble problems

 

[Kontradiction]

Compared to the other running backs smart ass

I wasn't being a smart ass. I just answered what I thought was your question. Turns out the OP I responded to was totally incoherent.

 

[PATS16N0]

Probable fact: Our chances of winning the Superbowl this season go up astronomically if Ridley is playing at the level we know he is capable of, while keeping control of the football.

 

[doesntmatter1]

Its not that Ridley just fumbles. His fumbles sometimes don't even make sense. I've seen AP many times and his were usually from multiple guys raking at it or good hits just like Blount's. If you look at Ridley the wrong way things like the Buffalo fumble happen.

It is much easier to forgive a guy that has the ability to take it to the house. As slow as Blount is, he is a much bigger threat to go all the way than Ridley.

People like to bring up that we stayed with Faulk but he had some unique 3rd down receiving skills. It is not easy to find a guy capable of doing all of those things that Faulk, Woodhead, and Vereen made look so easy. In the upcoming draft, I feel that there are multiple guys that can match or better Ridley, but I can't say for certain that any of them will INSTANTLY give us what Woodhead and now Vereen offer.

 

[Bobs My Uncle]

Ridley had best figure out how to mitigate his penchant for fumbling the ball. If he doesn't, he's not anywhere near good enough, in other aspects of his game, to warrant dressing him ahead of 46 other guys on the team. So says his HC.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

I don't like the idea of this guy carrying the load in the playoffs.....but he's our most explosive back, some time off might do him some good.If our backs get injured, i expect him to be right back in there.

 

[patsinthesnow]

I think Ridley would be more valuable on another team. What we need is a rb that can receive the ball and play all 3 downs, somewhat like a Pierre Thomas/Fred Jackson. When Ridley is on the field he's not a threat in the passing game or play/action, he doesn't fit our team

This. 10 char

 

[Observer]

Adrian Peterson had nine fumbles in his second year and seven in his third. Imagine if the Vikings had given up on him?

If holding onto the football is the most valuable component of playing running back on this team why didn't they keep BJGE and pay for that supposedly most important ability?

Very good question! I still continue to ask that myself. Ben Jarvis was not a phenomenal running back but he got the primary thing that BB wants right. He didn't lose the ball and he got into the endzone more often than not.

With regard to Ridley, I suspect there is a balancing point to be found and Riddler is not a good enough runner to overlook his fumbling.

 

[patsfan-1982]

I think Ridley would be more valuable on another team. What we need is a rb that can receive the ball and play all 3 downs, somewhat like a Pierre Thomas/Fred Jackson. When Ridley is on the field he's not a threat in the passing game or play/action, he doesn't fit our team

Pierre Thomas is pretty much a 3rd down back starting in a pass happy offense and Fred Jackson is all the bills got for offense because C.J. Spiller cant get more then 10 att per game cause he will get injuried,

the type of RB your talking about is more like LeSean McCoy or Matt Forte and the pats are not going to get a RB like that any time soon... Stevan Ridley is the best RB the pats have had since Dillion's one good year in 2004, so I am not looking for the pats to sign trade for or draft a RB anywere near as good as Forte or McCoy in the next few years

 

[wolverinejoe80]

Talented Mr. Ridley is a keeper

 

[coolguy]

I think Ridley would be more valuable on another team. What we need is a rb that can receive the ball and play all 3 downs, somewhat like a Pierre Thomas/Fred Jackson. When Ridley is on the field he's not a threat in the passing game or play/action, he doesn't fit our team

You do know ridley makes the play action fake more successful? I think ridley sells it better than blount and vereen.

 

[PP2]

Probable fact: Our chances of winning the Superbowl this season go up astronomically if Ridley is playing at the level we know he is capable of, while keeping control of the football.

That's not a fact, thats your supposition.

 

[Huckleberry1]

That's not a fact, thats your supposition.

Nope, that's a fact, if Ridley is playing and holding onto the ball they are a much tougher team to beat. Had he not qualified it you might have an argument, but he did qualify it.

 

[Patriot Missile]

He should of been benched. It's no secret why he is fumbling. Look at the way he carries it away from his body like a discus. Running in stride with the ball. Pretty sure the coaches have already discussed his technique with him multiple times and for some reason it just doesn't sink in when it counts. If it means losing a little burst or speed by holding it tight to the body then that's what he should be doing. Two arms if necessary.

He is a top 10 back running the ball when him and the oline are on the same page. But he is a bottom 10 when it comes to ball security. I'm pretty sure he is going to get this fixed eventually. Sooner rather than later hopefully. Btw I am expecting him to start next week with absolutely no facts to back it up. Just a hunch.

 

[Kdo5]

I think it is funny that some people are dismissing the importance of Stevan Ridley. If you look at our team overall, the defense is decimated and it's showing big time. So we need to start depending on the offense more.

And clearly the passing game is the most effective part of our team finally. But there will be some time in the playoffs where our passing game hits a road block. We cannot then turn to Blount, Bolden, and Vereen and expect them to carry the offense. With Stevan Ridley leading the way, they can.

I hope Ridley is active next week and his carries begin to increase again, game by game. We aren't winning a championship w/o him IMO.

 

[resdubwhite]

Really surprised not to see him active on Sunday. Its something that could have back fired in the end.
Certainly think we see him back next weekend

 

[PP2]

Nope, that's a fact, if Ridley is playing and holding onto the ball they are a much tougher team to beat. Had he not qualified it you might have an argument, but he did qualify it.

Ridley, because of his fumbles, has had a lot less of an impact this year, yet our record is exactly the same as it was last year, at 9-3.

In comparison, when Gronk came back, all our offensive numbers across the board rose. So it would be fair to call him a huge difference-maker, but numbers-wise, Ridley isn't anywhere near being a game-changer.

 

[PP2]

I think it is funny that some people are dismissing the importance of Stevan Ridley. If you look at our team overall, the defense is decimated and it's showing big time. So we need to start depending on the offense more.

And clearly the passing game is the most effective part of our team finally. But there will be some time in the playoffs where our passing game hits a road block. We cannot then turn to Blount, Bolden, and Vereen and expect them to carry the offense. With Stevan Ridley leading the way, they can.

I hope Ridley is active next week and his carries begin to increase again, game by game. We aren't winning a championship w/o him IMO.

Vereen is outperforming Ridley at this point.

 

[Deus Irae]

Unfortunately many posters lack the aptitude to understand that you can use a players name in a comparison for a specific aspect of their game.

If you a thread titled Boyce has the same 40 time as TY Hilton you would be met with reactions as if you compared them 1to1 across the board.

Essentially the comparison is only Peterson's ball security in the first 3 years of his career with Ridley's current ball security.

It was a terrible comparison. Elite players get more room for error, and more time for development than non-elite players. Not only that, but the whole "but ________, who's one of the best ever, did it!" just helps to show why that player is one of the best ever. It doesn't magically prove that any schmuck off the streets can do it. Exceptions are considered exceptions for a reason.

 

[Kdo5]

Vereen is outperforming Ridley at this point.

As a pass catcher? Definitely Vereen has a significant impact on our offense. Ridley also has a significant impact as the guy to go with on first and second downs. He's better than all three when you want the most production on the ground.