Ask Tiki Barber how he learned to clean up the fumbling issues he experienced in his career with the Giants.
He will talk about Tom Coughlin laying down the law and about running backs coach Jerald Ingram hammering home the “high and tight’’ mantra. Barber will also recall something quite specific: The abject fear he would get benched if he continued to put the ball on the ground.
“When Tom came in he was explicit: ‘Look, if you don’t figure out how to hold onto the ball you’re not gonna play,’ ’’ Barber told The Post. “I learned how to hold onto the football. Coach Coughlin said it to me in our first meeting, we were months away from the first game. It’s different when it’s going into week 10. Daniel Jones is not in an enviable position to fix what’s ailing him right now.’’
The greatest problem for Jones as he navigates his rookie season is his propensity for turnovers. His eight lost fumbles is an NFL high.
Combined with his eight interceptions, Jones is responsible for 16 turnovers, matching Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston (four lost fumbles, 12 interceptions) for the highest total in the league.
Daniel Jones; Tiki BarberRobert Sabo; Getty As Jones tries to figure it out, there is absolutely no threat of a demotion hanging over his head. Pat Shurmur is not going to give the rookie a timeout and put Eli Manning on the field. Given the regard for Manning in the entire organization, he is not going to be used as a speed-bump interim starter while Jones clears his head. Everyone knows this, including Jones.
“The urgency isn’t the same,’’ said Barber, who is not advocating Jones be benched. “One, because he’s a quarterback. Two, because everybody knows the Giants are still resetting, there’s not that urgency, necessarily. Now, how to you create that? How does coach Shurmur create that urgency in Daniel’s mind that makes him say, ‘I need to fix this now’ as opposed to ‘I’ll fix this when I have time.’ ’’
No one is insinuating Jones is entitled. This is a nod to human nature. The threat of losing what you have can be a strong motivator, but it is not applicable in this situation, and that is not necessarily a good thing.
For more on the Giants, listen to the latest episode of the “Blue Rush” podcast:
