Practice Makes Perfect for Ball-Hawking Patriots

The New England Patriots know everything Coach Raymond Berry does is done for a reason.

The perfect example of that is a drill the Patriots began on the first day of training camp, consisting of falling on the ball. Some of the players thought the drill should be left to Pee Wee Leaguers and high schoolers, but they all gradually accepted it.

“At first, we didn’t know what to make of it,” said Mosi Tatupu, the Patriots’ backup fullback and special teams performer. “Then we began to realize how important it is to know how to jump on a loose ball.”

Thirty-three fumble recoveries and five touchdowns on returns later, the Patriots are going to the Super Bowl.

“We don’t turn down any breaks,” Berry said.

Keeping with Berry’s no-frills approach to the game, the drill has a simple name.

“We call it the fumble drill,” Tatupu said. “Or maybe Raymond’s Drill.”

New England has scored a touchdown on a fumbled kickoff or punt return in three of its last five games.

“We take great pride in our special teams,” backup rookie safety Jim Bowman said. “For some of us, it’s our only playing time.”

Cedric Jones went 15 yards with Joe Carter’s fumble in a 30-27 loss to Miami in the 15th game of the season; Johnny Rembert took Johnny Hector’s fumbled kickoff 15 yards in a 26-14 wild card playoff victory over the Nwq York Jets, and Bowman’s recovery of Sam Seale’s fumbled kickoff return in the end zone was the winning touchdown in a 27-20 victory over the Raiders in the divisional playoff game.

Obviously, the players are believers in the fumble drill.

“In practice, you joke around and have fun with it,” Bowman said. “We practice it every single day, it’s been an every day thing for us.

“Anytime the ball’s on the ground, it’s anybody’s ball. After doing it during the year you get used to the bounces, and after a while they go your way.”

The Patriots scored no points on fumbled returns in the AFC championship game, but forced six turnovers which they turned into 24 points in a 31-14 victory over the Dolphins in the Orange Bowl.

“We go into every game looking for five turnovers,” said safety Fred Marion, who had seven regular-season interceptions and three in the playoffs. “It’s the only way to play defense. You’ve got to play reckless abandon defense and go after people. Do that and good things will happen.”

Added cornerback Raymond Clayborn: “We practice turnovers. We practice fumble recoveries, we practice going after the ball. We’re turnover-conscious.

“The coaches tell us, ‘We got one, we need four more, we’ve got two, we need three more.’ ”

In three playoff games, the Patriots passed their quota by turning 16 turnovers into 61 points. Counting playoffs, New England has 28 interceptions this season. With two playoff turnovers and 42 during the regular season, the Patriots’ turnover ratio is plus-13.

Counting his playoff score, Rembert has recovered four fumbles and returned two for touchdowns this season. All-Pro outside linebacker Andre Tippett recovered three fumbles during the regular season and returned one for a score.

Falling on fumbles is only half the game. The first part is forcing fumbles.

“We’re just playing heads up,” said Tippett, who forced three fumbles this season. “Instead of just going in tackling somebody, we go in trying to get the ball out.”

The Patriots’ opportunistic play will be put to the supreme test next Sunday in Super Bowl XX. The Chicago Bears, 10-point favorites, have lost 16 fumbles and 16 interceptions in 18 games.

“For New England to be in the game, they’re going to have to do the things they’ve done the last three weeks,” Miami Coach Don Shula said. “That is take the ball away and establish ball control. It’s a formula that works for them, but it’s pretty hard to envision that formula working against the Bears.”