It was very painful to see the Jets just give the game away to the Dolphins on Monday night. I know penalties have been a major issue with the team. However, I feel the real killer was the fumbles. I am probably showing my age, but many years ago, the Patriots had a running back named Sam Cunningham. His nickname was Sam Bam Cunningham due to his punishing style of running. He was actually a full-back who was a punishing runner. In those days, a full-back could be your best runner. However, he had a habit of fumbling the ball too easily. This would just crush you as a fan to watch. Last week, when the Patriots lost to the Steelers, they gave the game away just like the Jets by fumbling the ball away. Rhamondre Stevenson had several fumbles and was benched. Coach Vrabel made an interesting quote leading up to this week's game. He claimed that the team was doing a poor job of not sustaining their blocks long enough. This resulted in defenders being able to strip the ball from behind. During Monday's first take, Cam Newton went into how the ball should be held when running. However, I do remember him costing the Patriots a major win upset against the Bills when he fumbled the ball on a winning drive in the red zone. Perhaps the Jet's ball handlers should have watched the show. I have noticed recently that many of the fumbles do come from players attaching the ball when they are actually behind the runner this year. This suggests runners not realizing a defender behind them as a threat. In any event, here is an excellent YOUTUBE video on ball security.
