Lions running back Ameer Abdullah's college fumbling problems resurfaced in last week's blowout loss to the Cardinals, landing the rookie in coach Jim Caldwell's doghouse for the entire second half of the game.
"Coach made the call to sit me down, which probably was the right decision," Abdullah said, via the Detroit Free Press. "The way the game was going, he probably felt like he couldn't trust me, so I'm just doing my best to regain his trust, as I know I can do."
With veteran Joique Bell averaging a minuscule 1.1 yards per carry and listed as questionable this week, Caldwell doesn't have the luxury of benching his healthiest and most effective running back versus the Bears.
Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi confirmed earlier in the week that Abdullah will remain a fixture in Detroit's backfield.
"He's a young player, I don't think we banish him to the minors yet," Lombardi said. "You guys talk to him, he's a great kid, he's a smart player, he wants to do good. He's everything you want character wise from a football player. So I think that you kind of trust that he's going to keep working on it and get better."
Although Abdullah's lack of consistency has been a mild disappointment thus far, we are inclined to place the blame on the beleaguered offensive line and questionable play-calling.
The Lions are dead-last in rushing at 2.8 yards per carry. In fact, they are so far behind the rest of the league that no other team averages less than 3.3 yards per carry.
Caldwell surely understands he can't fix that problem by benching his most talented tailback.
