New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has not been shy about addressing his ball security problems, focusing much of his offseason attention on correcting those issues ahead of the 2020 regular season.
Not only has Jones worked with a quarterback coach who has placed an emphasis on fumble reduction, he’s also added nine pounds of muscle to his frame to ensure that he’s stronger at the point of contact.
“He’s been serious about staying busy in the weight room. I think he’s around 230,” David Morris of QB Country told The Athletic. “He’s gotten bigger and therefore you see it — he’s stronger.”
Bulking up from 221 pounds won’t completely solve Jones’ fumbling issues, but it’s just one small step in the right direction.
“One of Daniel’s greatest attributes is his competitiveness – the ability to fight, hang in there, go that extra yard and do whatever it takes. I think that’s a great gift and strength of his,” Morris said. “Same token, knowing when to stop competing is something that we talk about. Knowing when to move on — throw it away, tuck it. An incompletion is better than a sack. An incompletion is better than a turnover.”
One of the adjustments Jones is going to have to make is a willingness to not only toss the ball away, but to avoid taking on defenders and trying to play through big hits.
Of Jones’ 18 fumbles in 2019, five came when he failed to recognize pressure and three came when he took on defenders down the field. Three more came on the snap exchange and one on a busted handoff — all turnovers that Jones’ former Duke head coach, David Cutcliffe, feels can be corrected.
“He was too fearless as a runner here. I said, ‘In that league, it’s simple. Those guys hit you — they’re six or seven years older, they’re stronger than anything that’s ever hit you before. Quit running the ball like a back. Get on the ground. Run like a quarterback. Unless it’s to win the Super Bowl, quit taking on tacklers,'” Cutcliffe said. “He’s a great athlete, he can get out of trouble, make yards and then you get the hell knocked out of you by a guy that has been continuing to train his body for seven or eight years. I tell him, ‘Don’t take those hits. The ball is coming out. I don’t care what you do.'”
The adjustment necessary for Jones will be a difficult one. He’s a true competitor who wants every yard and believes he can get it, but the risk is not worth the reward. More than a physical adjustment, it’s a mental one. And while the nine additional pounds with help in some scenarios, Jones still has to learn when to hold ’em and when to fold ’em.
