We need a cure.

Let's see... let's start by taking inventory. THREE lost fumbles for turnovers in that game.
Fumblers, who all fumbled?
Here are the ones I recall, supplemented by SI box score.
https://www.si.com/nfl/game/2142043/box-score

* Penny, 1 carry, 1 fumble LOST (seemed that way, maybe a couple other carries too)
* DK, 1 beastmode-type catch and run play, with one unfortunate fumble, LOST at the end
* Russell, 1 fumble LOST (or was it two) while being sacked, and I think there was one other one possibly.
* Ifedi, 1 misguided run attempt, 1 fumble LOST
* Carson, 1 fumble (recovered)

I think Russell's fumble gets counted as "recovered" and Ifedi's fumble clearly gets counted as LOST.

2 of the 3 LOST fumbles were the result of punch-outs by the SF defense. I don't know about Penny's fumble. Anyone have a good look at how that happened? Was it on Penny, or was a SF defender in the backfield on the handoff?

Cure... we hope...

* DK, Rookie, now he's got experience and knows what it feels like to have the ball stripped at key plays in a game. Twice this has happened. Experience? Coaching? Practice? I think this one will improve right away. Mainly better judgment about when to extend, and when to keep the ball secure. This was a strip that resulted from him giving extra effort, trying too hard. That said, it's BS that an out of bounds defender can strip the ball and have it ruled a fumble. NFL needs to revisit this rule. If OOB player touches ball and forces fumble, any lost ball should come back to the point where the player first touched the ball while OOB. On punts, this type of play gets flagged as unsportsmanlike conduct. Not a 100% direct parallel, but the idea is that the game is played IN BOUNDS.

* Penny, don't know. Didn't really see the cause of the fumble. Since we hardly saw him after that, it must be on him in Pete's mind.

* Carson, more focus on ball security. He improved, then regressed. In fairness, he gets a lot of carries, in tough situations. Just needs to get that focus back.

* Russell, that fumble was just the game and stuff that happens sometimes when you have 3 big mean guys trying to rough you up. You know he'll review and analyze and try to fix anything that can be fixed.

* Ifedi, Coaching and practice, hang on, get down!!

The most fixable are Ifedi's, and DK's fumbles, and maybe Carson's. Ifedi won't get many more opportunities ever to fumble, and would probably get excited and have a brain meltdown anyway, regardless of coaching. DK you know will fix it. Carson, fix it again. Russell, keep balling out, $h!t happens, keep being yourself and making plays. Compare Wilson's ball security to Garoppolo's, and Russell looks like a bank vault.

Penny was in some sort of doghouse before that, but he hurt his chances in a VERY large way with me(I have been a supporter of his) and more importantly Pete. If your name isn't Carson, your leash is pretty friggin short.

They preach "take care of the ball"...Carson hasn't paid attention, DK hasn't paid attention, Prosise hasn't paid attention. DK is too valuable to sit and probably Carson too, but these last games are SO important...Hang onto the ball at all costs.

Continual Fumble problems. AND dropping what should he sure picks! Very frustrating. It’s like the footballs are greased and it only impacts our players.


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Once you drop the ball, teams start to focus on that even more than they did before. So if you get a rep as a fumbler, you can expect that the ball will be puched at and grabbed and aimed for in hits, etc.

Copycat league, and once the league gets the idea that you drop the ball easily, they try even harder.

I feel bad for Penny, but that was pretty bad. Only a few carries, one drop stands out.

Penny's fumble was also punched out, by the defender (DB I think) coming off the edge on a run blitz. He hit it out just before Penny got to the pile and that's why RW was able to see it and ran around the pile to the other side to try and recover it.

Metcalf needs serious lessons in protecting the ball since he will be getting it a LOT. He needs to know, guys are coming from behind to punch it out, is that something that's hard to coach?, because it seems like a fundamental to me.

The Seahawks in the early Carroll days perfected the football punch out. Now the whole damn league is doing it and we’re often on the receiving end.



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James in PA wrote:The Seahawks in the early Carroll days perfected the football punch out. Now the whole damn league is doing it and we’re often on the receiving end.



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Live by the sword

There's honestly not much more that DK could have done on his fumble. Ball is high and tight, had previously switched it to the closest arm to the sideline. Really the only reason the DB was able to get the ball out is because of a .2 second window where DK flexes his arms out to balance himself from the defender on his legs he just dragged for 3 yards.

The DB essentially just hugs the ball as DK is still working towards the endzone and just the way the momentum works out results in the strip.

You cover the ball with both arms and especially underneath when players are near. He easily could have done it. I'm sure hes looked at the film many times and told himself exactly that. I was a WR in HS and College and that's what we were taught.

bbsplitter wrote:There's honestly not much more that DK could have done on his fumble. Ball is high and tight, had previously switched it to the closest arm to the sideline. Really the only reason the DB was able to get the ball out is because of a .2 second window where DK flexes his arms out to balance himself from the defender on his legs he just dragged for 3 yards.

The DB essentially just hugs the ball as DK is still working towards the endzone and just the way the momentum works out results in the strip.

That's an instructive sporting way to look at it.

It's was a heads up play by the defender. There is nothing disloyal about acknowledging an impact play by the opposition.

bbsplitter wrote:There's honestly not much more that DK could have done on his fumble. Ball is high and tight, had previously switched it to the closest arm to the sideline. Really the only reason the DB was able to get the ball out is because of a .2 second window where DK flexes his arms out to balance himself from the defender on his legs he just dragged for 3 yards.

The DB essentially just hugs the ball as DK is still working towards the endzone and just the way the momentum works out results in the strip.

This was completely avoidable!

First, he didn’t cover the ball with his other hand when he drew contact.
Secondly, when the defender grabbed the ball he didn’t stop pushing towards the goal line and secure the ball.
Third, if he felt he was losing control of the ball all he had to do was drop a knee to end the play.

He did none of that. This 100% on Metcalf. All the db did was hang on to the ball once it was waved in his face.

Own The West wrote:

bbsplitter wrote:There's honestly not much more that DK could have done on his fumble. Ball is high and tight, had previously switched it to the closest arm to the sideline. Really the only reason the DB was able to get the ball out is because of a .2 second window where DK flexes his arms out to balance himself from the defender on his legs he just dragged for 3 yards.

The DB essentially just hugs the ball as DK is still working towards the endzone and just the way the momentum works out results in the strip.

This was completely avoidable!

First, he didn’t cover the ball with his other hand when he drew contact.
Secondly, when the defender grabbed the ball he didn’t stop pushing towards the goal line and secure the ball.
Third, if he felt he was losing control of the ball all he had to do was drop a knee to end the play.

He did none of that. This 100% on Metcalf. All the db did was hang on to the ball once it was waved in his face.

I agree with your second point, but not your first or third. The reason his other hand was not securing the ball at the moment the DB latches on and gains the advantage is because that hand is on the ground so he can regain his balance to fight for more yards. If your saying his hand should on the ball and not on the ground, your essentially saying he should not fight for the yards. Which I will never agree with. Especially since the ball was high and tight at the moment he put his hand down to regain balance. Always fight for more yards in that situation. Now if he is swinging the ball three feet from his body, by all means prioritize ball security and fall to the ground and cover it up.

Third, if he had "dropped to a knee" at the moment he felt he was losing control of the ball, he still would have fumbled. In fact, it would have even been more likely he would have fumbled. The DB hugged his arm, and stretched DK's arm straight until he could rip the ball out. Trying to take a knee at that point would have been almost guaranteed to fumble.

Fumbles are a fact of life in football. You can minimize them but you will never eliminate them entirely.

DK's fumbles are a part of that too, he's a rookie and still learning what it takes to be a real pro. One great game doesn't make him a star and one bad one doesn't make him a goat, it's all a part of the process.

I think we get caught up in the blame game here on .NET, what about acknowledging a good play by our opponents once in while?

Objectivity.

Pete said at his presser yesterday that holding onto the ball is still the #1 thing that is emphasized in his program. And that he needs to “do a better job” of getting that message across. FWIW. Sounds like coach speak but I do have no doubt he is trying to hammer that point home all the time. DK’s fumble was a rookie just trying to do too much. Ifedi’s fumble was moronic. He needs to get down immediately. Who the hell did he think he was going to outrun?!


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James in PA wrote:The Seahawks in the early Carroll days perfected the football punch out. Now the whole damn league is doing it and we’re often on the receiving end.



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Knox defenses did it too, and well I might add

hawksfansinceday1 wrote:

James in PA wrote:The Seahawks in the early Carroll days perfected the football punch out. Now the whole damn league is doing it and we’re often on the receiving end.



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Knox defenses did it too, and well I might add

Specifically .............. the late great defensive coordinator Tom Catlin.