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David Wilson knows 'fumbles have to be eliminated'

After being benched against Dallas, Wilson knows ball security is a must against Denver

By Sam Spiegelman
Wesley Hitt

In his NFL debut, David Wilson coughed up a fumble and quickly fell into coach Tom Coughlin's doghouse. Year two got off to an even rockier start.

Wilson fumbled the rock twice against the Dallas Cowboys on opening night and was benched by his head coach for the remainder of the contest. Coughlin won't say whether the former first-rounder will start against the Denver Broncos, but Wilson is preparing as if he will -- and you can bet ball security is on his mind.

'Fumbles have to be eliminated and that's something I'm working hard to do.' - David Wilson

"For me, I'm just moving forward. You can think about it too much and hurt your play, so right now I'm just focusing on going out there and making plays and helping my team," Wilson said on Wednesday. "Fumbles have to be eliminated and that's something that's not going to help the team win. You can't worry about it too much, but you've got to make sure you don't do it."

Coughlin addressed the team, which turned the ball over six times in their season-opening loss, and reminded the backs to hold the ball high and tight, a lesson he had to teach to former Pro Bowler Tiki Barber when Coughlin first arrived in New York a decade ago.

Last year, after Wilson started his rookie campaign with ball security issues, he did not fumble again for the remainder of the season. He's hoping 2013 has a similar feel.

"Fumbles have to be eliminated and that's something I'm working hard to do," Wilson said. "I definitely want to help my team and not hurt my team. We're just moving forward from that point and learning from our mistakes ... and looking forward to getting a win this weekend, getting things going back in the right direction, a positive direction."

Coughlin admitted the New York Giants need Wilson this week, that he's confident in the running back going forward. And that's a positive sign for a number of reasons.

Wilson's primary backup, Da'Rel Scott, is dealing with a knee injury and has practiced on a limited basis this week. The Giants signed veteran Brandon Jacobs, but how much he can play right away is debatable.

According to Wilson, he'll be a contributor as soon as Sunday, but in a leadership role.

"It's another guy in the locker room that can help us win some games," he said. "We're glad to have him back."

Follow Sam on Twitter @SamSpiegs

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