New England Patriots running back Stevan Ridley described his ongoing fumbling problem last season as "almost disgusting."
After coughing the ball up again in Friday's preseason game versus the Eagles, Ridley was once again left with "a sick feeling."
Ridley didn't play another snap after the fumble. Considering his previous residence in coach Bill Belichick's doghouse, he's unsure if he was benched solely for ball-security reasons.
"It was what it was. We had a first half of football to play. That was the time that we got," Ridley said, via ESPN Boston. "Either way, that really wasn't my call. I didn't know how much longer I'd be in there or not."
Belichick emphasized Sunday that nothing correlates more to winning and losing than turnovers and ball security.
As we pointed out on Monday's edition of the Around The League Podcast, though, Belichick has little choice but to stick with Ridley.
For as much hype as James White has drawn this summer, the first two preseason games show a rookie tailback lacking any semblance of power or playmaking ability. He's closer to Shane Vereen as a passing-down specialist.
As a pure runner, it's obvious that Ridley is head and shoulders above the crowd in this backfield.
That leaves Ridley in the same scenario as the one he faced at the end of last summer: Staying prepared for Belichick to offer him another chance as the team's power back.
The latest "Around the League Podcast" talks quarterback battles and debates the gang's preseason power rankings.
