Willis McGahee flummoxed by fumbles

Broncos RB Willis McGahee has never had a case of fumblitis like the one that now afflicts him. His two fumbles in the Broncos' 36-14 win over Carolina pushed his season total to a career-worst five.

"It'll weigh (on my mind)," McGahee said Wednesday, "but at the end of the day, you've got to put it behind you, because you can't worry about it. I know what I was doing wrong. Me and the coaches and the scout-team defense have been working on it for the past two days, so, hey, it is what it is. I'm not perfect."
McGahee believes the problem lies with himself.

"I'll get careless here and there with it when I try to do too much," he said. "The ball will go swinging out, and that's what I've been trying to do, but I'm just going back to taking my time."

It has otherwise been a stellar season for McGahee, who is on pace to rush for more than 1,200 yards and is just 29 yards from a career high in receiving yardage.

But McGahee's bobbles have been the most extensive symptom of a team-wide affliction. The Broncos have lost 12 fumbles this year, the second-most in the league behind Kansas City. McGahee has accounted for one-third of them, but recovered one of his own fumbles in the fourth quarter at Carolina.

The Broncos were expected to spend extra time working on fumble-recovery and ball-security drills this week, hoping to correct a problem that hasn't sunk their hopes, but could morph into a fatal flaw by January.

One remedy apparently not in play is to carry a green-beanie-covered football around team headquarters, to practice and meetings. That solution was foisted upon WR Demaryius Thomas after he lost fumbles in three consecutive games (Weeks 3-5) earlier this season. McGahee said Wednesday he wasn't even aware of the green football.


(cbssports.com)