When Tom Coughlin took over as head coach of the New York Giants in 2004, he had a monumental task on his hands. One of the major issues on his agenda was to fix running back Tiki Barber’s ball security issue.
From 2000-2003, Barber averaged nine fumbles per season and the tunovers were not only killing the Giants, they were holding Barber back from becoming the great player he would eventually become. Coughlin convinced Barber to hold the football “high and tight” and the results were astonishing.
Barber fumbled only eight more times in his final three years as a pro under Coughlin and became a Pro Bowl back each season until he retired after the 2006 season. In a 2017 interview, he explained how the new handle worked for him.Â
“It was extreme, but it actually helped me become a more effective runner,” he said. “Just put it higher, and kept my elbow down. But more importantly, when you go into contact, you cover it up.”
“Now, the traditional way to cover up a football is to put the ball perpendicular to the ground. It’s across the ground, it’s across your body, but there’s nothing supporting the ball underneath. The actual way to do it is to put the ball vertical to the ground, wrap your off-ball hand across your on-ball hand, and go to the ground with basically an ‘x’ across your chest as opposed to two parallel boards across your chest. It was a very simple fix and a mechanical one that just took some drilling in.”
Jones’ fumbling issue has become just as severe as Barber’s. The rookie is costing the Giants games with his turnovers. Jones leads the NFL in fumbles (13) and in lost fumbles with 9. Â As a result, the Giants lead the NFL with 24 turnovers and 12 lost fumbles.
This week, Barber told TMZ Sports that Jones will likely snap out of the bad habit over time and become a star.
Despite putting the ball on the ground way too often, Barber thinks Jones has a bright future in NYC.
“He’s having some turnover issues. But, the timing is so different and the speed is so different in the NFL. That’s what’s causing him to hold on to the ball a little bit longer than he should,” Tiki says.
“But, he’s gonna be fine. I love him as a player. I think he’s got the right attitude, mentality to be a star in this league and to take this team far. But, he’s young. He’s still a rookie.”
Being a running back, Barber’s issues were mush different. Jones has been fumbling in a multitude of ways as both a passer and a runner. The Giants have been working on Jones’ ball security but when the heat of the battle is on during games, Jones get so intent on making plays, he loses himself in the moment.
“That’s a big deal and makes it a lot harder on our team, I’m certainly aware of that,” Jones said after the Giants lost to the Jets last week, highlighted by his lost fumble, which was ripped from his hands by Jamal Adams and returned for a touchdown. ” I’m doing everything I can to correct it. I need to continue to focus on that and it needs to improve.”
It has been suggested that Jones would benefit from wearing a glove on his non-throwing hand, like Eli Manning did, to increase his grip on the ball.
“I have never heard of that in terms of the ball security piece,'” said head Pat Shurmur. “The ball got ripped out of his hand the other night, he has to certainly secure it, though. I guess it’s something to think about. Since you brought it up, I will mention it to him. Some guys are just more comfortable wearing a glove and some guys aren’t. Regardless, he has to secure the ball.”
Not sure the glove would have prevented the Adams play, however.