You won’t find “Fumblitis” in any medical journal, but it is an unfortunate ailment. It occurs in the fall along with the onset of winter, as do colds and flu. It is also a very serious affliction, which will bring migraines to offensive coaches and coordinators. Sometimes fumblitis can be fatal, for an offense. It will also turn wins into losses.
Fumbled balls can end an offense and even turn games around. Sunday saw an example, with the Vikings being outscored 405-137 at the NY Giants, but somehow they managed a 24-21 win! 5 turnovers were the difference, which included a fumble. A fumble also changed the Patriots / Dolphins game. With Miami leading late in the second quarter and already up 7-0, TE Randy McMichael turned the ball over in the 9th after a long win. Instead of a 14-0 or 10-0 Miami lead at halftime, the Patriots marched down and kicked a field goal to get back into the game.
Fumbled balls can take the life of an offense. Here’s a current list of the team with the most fumbles in the NFL: New Orleans (14), Chicago (12), Washington (12), NY Jets (11), St. Louis (9), San Francisco (9) , Tennessee (9), Arizona (9), Minnesota (8), Miami (9). Two of those teams have a winning spread record (Bears, Redskins) and the combined spread records are 35-53 ATS.
Sometimes more fumbles can mean the team likes to run the ball more. This would be the case with the Bears and Redskins, who are actually decent teams. But the others have stumbled a lot this season, both up and against the number, and too many fumbles are a big reason.
Let’s go back to 2004. The teams that finished with the most fumbles were the Bears, Browns, 49ers and Bucs. Those teams didn’t even get anywhere near the playoffs, with the Browns and 49ers battling for last place in the NFL. Holding onto the ball is a matter of concentration and effort, and those teams were lacking in 2004.
Turnovers can change everything. Take a look at Sunday’s Jets / Carolina box score. Total yards: NY 214, Carolina 220. The Jets held the rushing advantage 137-101. It looks like a defensive game, maybe a final score of 13-10? Note enough. Test Carolina 30, Jets 3. You can guess what comes next: Jet’s 6 turnovers, including 2 fumbles. The Panthers did not fail at all.