How Larry Donnell can Improve his Play in 2015

Oct 19, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys safety Barry Church (42) knocks the ball loose against New York Giants tight end Larry Donnell (84) in the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Ball Security

In 2014 Larry Donnell fumbled the football 4 times. That is way too much. 2 of those fumbles swung the game in the wrong direction as 4th quarter giveaways in Dallas an Jacksonville essentially lost the game for the Giants.

Its great when you can go up and make plays over defenders but if you can’t hold onto the football after making the catch you aren’t doing your team any good. Most of the time in the NFL the team that wins the turnover battle wins the game. If Donnell continues to put the ball on the ground like he did in 2014 he will find himself in coach Tom Coughlin’s doghouse and most likely on the bench.

Now fumbles do happen and teams give the ball away but the tight end is supposed to be a reliable target, a safety net for the quarterback. If that safety can’t hang onto the football  how safe is it? To Donnell’s credit he was up-ended pretty hard when he lost the ball in Dallas but it was picked up and brought back for a touchdown, as it was in Jacksonville.

Giving 7 points away to the defense is never acceptable, no matter how good of a receiver you are.

Next: Consistency