I have a theoryabout the "stupid mistakes" we made today...the easy dropped passes. the bad snap, etc. From my experience, it comes when athletes know on the field they are playing a physically superior opponent. They try harder which leads to unforced errors. That pass that Leonard drops? I bet he makes that if he were playing a Wofford or Kennesaw. Something seems to unravel when the guy you are playing against is just physically superior than you.
For me, it happened in basketball against quicker opponents. That wide open look you knock down most of the time in a scrimmage or practice or against lesser opponents...you rush it when the the defender is quicker than you. And miss. I have seen it in golf. I was a consistent, steady player who struggled on long courses because I knew I had to hit it farther. By trying to hit it farther, I almost never did. Or my buddy who hits the 300 yard drives and scores well if the track is wide open and doesn't penalize a wayward tee shot will freeze up on a tight course where hitting a fairway is required. Notice the only turnover from them came when they had their backup QB in? It happened to him too as well as our FR RB. I think that is the issue with our punter who is from Iceland? Ireland? wherever he is from, it is apparent he is not used to kicking against the type of athletes he sees week in and week out over here. You just can't replicate certain things.
That is my opinion anyways and it very well could be wrong. I don't think anyone coaches players to fumble, drop passes, snap the ball on the ground. It's forced by the other team subliminally.