Jaxson Dart has continued to be taught a difficult lesson about his recklessness, and the New York Giants' 33-15 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 13 was no different. On Monday night, Dart was leveled on a hit from Patriots' linebacker Christian Elliss, but never ended up leaving the game.
The first-round rookie just returned after spending the last two weeks in concussion protocol, but the lesson has yet to sink in. Fans have been clamoring for Dart to slide on a more consistent basis in order to protect himself, and Elliss said his massive hit was intended to send a message to further hammer the point:
"Make sure to slide."
The 22-year-old has an incredibly bright future ahead of him, as long as he can stay healthy. Dart needs to learn that this isn't college anymore, and a lot of the NFL defenders are head-hunting in the way that Elliss did. This is incredibly alarming, so here's to hoping he can learn from this latest wake-up call.
Christian Elliss agrees with Giants fans that Jaxson Dart needs to slide more frequently
In the blowout loss, the Ole Miss standout completed just 16-of-24 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown and was severely outplayed by Drake Maye in primetime. The one silver lining from such a performance is that Dart didn't let that hit scare him from continuing to use his legs to extend plays.
He's a mobile quarterback, and utilizing that mobility is part of what makes him such an asset as Big Blue's long-term future at QB. With that said, what he has to be mindful of is when to utilize his athleticism and when not to.
Players like Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes frequently roll out of the pocket but know what to do to avoid bigger hits.
Not only did Elliss make a statement with that hit, but the 26-year-old led the New England defense with 10 total tackles in the game. Additionally, he managed to back up all of the concerns Giants fans had about their franchise quarterback with just one play, then doubled down while addressing the media.
The worst thing that could happen to the G-Men is if Dart's head injuries become common, especially given that signal-callers are not made to take hits like the one the LB delivered. But the fact he has the competitive spirit to not let anything deter him is commendable, as scary as it seems.
His words are fanning the flames of one of the most classic NFL rivalries, but it also gives Dart a chance to get some much-needed rest entering the Big Blue's bye week.