How Patriots have reportedly tried to resolve fumble issues

Rhamondre Stevenson gained’t be disciplined for his two misplaced fumbles towards the Steelers in Week 3, however the Patriots are nonetheless placing an emphasis on ball safety forward of Sunday’s matchup towards the Panthers.

The Patriots had some concentrate on ball safety in each follow interval this week, The Athletic‘s Dianna Russini reported Saturday.

“They’ve been drilling it consistently,” Russini wrote. “Each follow interval had some ingredient of ball safety, with ball carriers hammering on approach and everybody else hammering on defending the man with the ball. Now it simply has to indicate up.”

Stevenson’s two fumbles solely accounted for half of the Patriots’ misplaced fumbles in Week 3. Backup working again Antonio Gibson and quarterback Drake Maye every misplaced a fumble as properly.

Whereas these have been the Patriots’ first 4 misplaced fumbles of the 12 months, they entered Week 4 with essentially the most misplaced fumbles within the league. Dropping the ball on fumbles was additionally an issue final 12 months, with Stevenson recording seven fumbles final 12 months. Maye had much more with 9.

Regardless of Stevenson’s alarming variety of fumbles, Vrabel informed reporters that the working again wouldn’t be punished with a lack of taking part in time in Week 4.

“Should you’re asking me if Rhamondre is on some type of self-discipline, no,” Vrabel mentioned on Friday. “The self-discipline is we’d like our greatest gamers to play in a recreation and do their job and maintain soccer. And all of us have to do this. Drake had an interception and a fumble. We’re not going to play Josh [Dobbs] proper now.”

Nonetheless, Vrabel acknowledged the significance of ball safety.

“We’ve got to repair these issues, the folks round them should be higher and I’m assured that we are going to. I’m not going to speak in regards to the different,” Vrabel mentioned. “I’ll go down that street later, however these are issues that we’ve got to get mounted, however we additionally should do good issues with the soccer, make folks miss, make yards and catch it and block after they blitz. So, we’re assured that these guys can do this.”

The Patriots’ turnovers wound up swinging the sport within the Steelers’ favor final week. Not solely did New England commit 4 extra turnovers, however it additionally outgained Pittsburgh by 166 yards.

New England’s turnovers additionally got here in crucial moments and areas. Stevenson’s first fumble got here on the sport’s opening possession, giving Pittsburgh a brief area earlier than taking a 7-0 lead. His second fumble got here proper on the objective line as he tried to hurry for a landing to tie the sport within the third quarter.

Maye additionally had a purple zone turnover, throwing an interception on a batted ball in the long run zone proper earlier than halftime. He misplaced a fumble in Steelers territory within the fourth quarter because the Patriots have been driving to try to take the lead.