Myths said often enough to become fact

[Craic]

I've wondered about some of the things said around here (and Steeler Nation) that don't match up with the numbers.

One of them is that Mendenhall has problems fumbling the football.

MYTH: Mendenhall is a fumble machine. He can't hold on the ball.

FACT: Mendenhall has handled the ball 634 times. He has fumbled the ball 6 times. That is an fumble average of .94% or under 1 percent of all carries end up as a fumble. He is the best featured RB the Steelers have ever had in protecting the football. Here are the numbers:

In comparison (featured RB defined as anyone with 39 or more games played and 500 rushing attempts to rule out WRs, QBs and backups):

The categories are total games, total attempts, fumbles, then career fumble percentage (how many times they fumbled divided by how many times they carried the ball.

Rashard Mendenhall (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MendRa00.htm) 39 634 6 0.95%
Jerome Bettis (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BettJe00.htm) 145 2683 28 1.04%
Willie Parker (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/ParkWi00.htm) 79 1253 17 1.36%
Walter Abercrombie (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/A/AberWa00.htm) 79 842 15 1.78%
Barry Foster (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FostBa00.htm) 62 915 19 2.08%
John Fuqua (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FuquJo00.htm) 87 699 18 2.58%
John Henry Johnson (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JohnJo02.htm) 67 1006 26 2.58%
Merril Hoge (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HogeMe00.htm) 109 819 22 2.69%
Dick Hoak (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HoakDi00.htm) 135 1132 31 2.74%
Fran Rogel (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/RogeFr00.htm) 96 900 28 3.11%
Franco Harris (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HarrFr00.htm) 165 2881 90 3.12%
Frank Pollard (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PollFr00.htm) 111 953 30 3.15%
Tom Tracy (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/T/TracTo00.htm) 60 737 24 3.26%
Preston Pearson (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PearPr00.htm) 62 573 19 3.32%
Rocky Bleier (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BleiRo00.htm) 134 928 32 3.45%
Lynn Chandnois (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/C/ChanLy00.htm) 72 593 28 4.72%

Well great... but the game is different today. Can't compare stats from one era to another. I agree, so I took every RB that Pro-Football-Reference.com says is an active RB (so maybe not playing, but not yet retired), and used the same parameters as above. Out of 45 people who fit those parameters (3 of whom are QBs), Mendenhall is 7th in the best RBs to hold on to the ball of all RBs in the league with 39 or more games and 500 or more attempts.

Ray Rice (23) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/RiceRa00.htm) 708 4 0.56%
Joseph Addai (27) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/A/AddaJo00.htm) 1,016 6 0.59%
DeAngelo Williams (27) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WillDe02.htm) 868 6 0.69%
Chris Johnson (25) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JohnCh04.htm) 971 7 0.72%
Ryan Grant (28) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GranRy00.htm) 822 6 0.73%
Brian Westbrook (31) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WestBr00.htm) 1,385 12 0.87%
Rashard Mendenhall (23) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MendRa00.htm) 634 6 0.95%
LaDainian Tomlinson (31) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/T/TomlLa00.htm) 3,116 30 0.96%
Laurence Maroney (25) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MaroLa00.htm) 618 6 0.97%
Julius Jones (29) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JoneJu01.htm) 1,280 13 1.02%
Michael Turner (28) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/T/TurnMi00.htm) 1,158 12 1.04%
Larry Johnson (31) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JohnLa00.htm) 1,427 15 1.05%
Thomas Jones (32) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JoneTh00.htm) 2,553 27 1.06%
Cedric Benson (28) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BensCe00.htm) 1,314 14 1.07%
Fred Taylor (34) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/T/TaylFr00.htm) 2,534 27 1.07%
Cadillac Williams (28) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WillCa02.htm) 1,018 11 1.08%
Steven Jackson (27) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JackSt00.htm) 1,884 21 1.11%
Maurice Morris (31) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MorrMa00.htm) 791 9 1.14%
Ronnie Brown (29) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BrowRo05.htm) 1,138 13 1.14%
Maurice Jones-Drew (25) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/D/DrewMa00.htm) 1,207 14 1.16%
Derrick Ward (30) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WardDe01.htm) 517 6 1.16%
Clinton Portis (29) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PortCl00.htm) 2,230 26 1.17%
Matt Forte (25) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FortMa00.htm) 846 10 1.18%
Marshawn Lynch (24) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/L/LyncMa00.htm) 890 11 1.24%
Willis McGahee (29) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/McGaWi00.htm) 1,595 20 1.25%
Marion Barber (27) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BarbMa01.htm) 1,042 15 1.44%
Jonathan Stewart (23) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/StewJo00.htm) 606 9 1.49%
Brandon Jacobs (28) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JacoBr00.htm) 955 15 1.57%
Sammy Morris (33) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MorrSa00.htm) 708 12 1.69%
Ladell Betts (31) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BettLa00.htm) 821 14 1.71%
Fred Jackson (29) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JackFr02.htm) 694 12 1.73%
Adrian Peterson (25) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PeteAd01.htm) 1,256 22 1.75%
Michael Bennett (32) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BennMi00.htm) 842 15 1.78%
Correll Buckhalter (32) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BuckCo00.htm) 655 12 1.83%
Frank Gore (27) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GoreFr00.htm) 1,430 27 1.89%
Chester Taylor (31) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/T/TaylCh01.htm) 1,149 22 1.91%
Dominic Rhodes (31) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/RhodDo00.htm) 814 16 1.97%
Ricky Williams (33) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WillRi00.htm) 2,344 51 2.18%
Darren McFadden (23) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/McFaDa00.htm) 501 13 2.59%
Ahmad Bradshaw (24) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BradAh00.htm) 572 15 2.62%
Kevin Faulk (34) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FaulKe00.htm) 847 25 2.95%
Reggie Bush (25) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BushRe00.htm) 552 21 3.80%
Michael Vick (30) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/V/VickMi00.htm) 677 73 10.78%
Mark Brunell (40) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BrunMa00.htm) 513 76 14.81%
Donovan McNabb (34) (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/McNaDo00.htm) 611 94 15.38%

__________________________________________________ ________________________

SO, can we now put away the myth that Mendenhall has problems holding on to the football? The reality is, he is currently the best RB the Steelers have ever had at holding on to the ball and is one of the top 7 current RBs in the game for holding on to the ball.

[Count Steeler]

I don't think fumbling is the big issue for me. I don't like the attitude and the sudden twinkle toes dancing behind the line. If he is tired of getting pounded, sit 1 game and get a breather.

[Steeldude]

it seems to me when he does fumble it's at a bad time

[Psycho Ward 86]

it seems to me when he does fumble it's at a bad time

the superbowl and Ngata destroying him unblocked? that's it? get real.

[Chidi29]

it seems to me when he does fumble it's at a bad time

Because there's never a good time to fumble.

[Devilsdancefloor]

I do not think he is a fumbler never have, but it seems like they have broke him of the spinning routine and to be honest he is running to high never lower his shoulder or leaning downhill to get that extra yard or so. He had cut back lanes sunday night and he didnt take them. I have no idea what is going on with him, but he needs to reevaluate what he is doing or a coach should. i think he is a good running back, but seems to be missing something this year or hasnt found a groove yet maybe that is why they kept giving him the ball sunday to try to get him in a groove?

[Steeldude]

the superbowl and Ngata destroying him unblocked? that's it? get real.

only two fumbles?

what about the ravens/steelers playoff game when mendenhall fumbled on the steelers own 16? the ravens scored making it 21-7 going into the second half. was that a bad fumble? according to it wasn't bad.

then there was the fumble in the 4th quarter on the steelers' 21 yard-line. buffalo tied the game with that fumble making it 13-13. the game went into overtime at 16-16. i guess that fumble in their own territory wasn't bad either.

should you now be getting real? lol

[Steeldude]

Because there's never a good time to fumble.

some fumbles hurt worse than others.

[Craic]

some fumbles hurt worse than others.

You can argue know matter where the ball is on the field that it is a bad place to fumble. Deep in our own zone, at midfield giving the other team both a short field to go for a TD and also an edge in the battle of positioning on the field. Deep in the other zone going into score. A fumble in the first quarter hurts just as bad if we lose by a field goal as a fumble in the fourth quarter and we lose by a field goal.

I know we all like to talk about pressure situations. But if that second quarter INT or fumble doesn't happen, then there may not be a pressure situation. Hence, NO time is a good time and they all hurt just as bad, because they end our chance to score. At the end of the game, that drive just be the drive we needed. Sure, we may not have been as emotionally invested in the second drive of the game as we are the last drive, but they both put up either 3 or 7 points and to lose the ball in the 2nd drive is just as bad.

[86WARD]

As long as he is on this team, he'll always be labeled as a "fumbler" because of that Super Bowl play. That's all the general public remembers.