In the lead-up to the Giants' Week 13 game against the Patriots, people inside and outside New York's organization urged rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, who has drawn criticism for the way his fearless play puts him in harm's way, to be "more thoughtful" about when he runs. Well, it didn't take long for Dart, who on Monday returned to action after missing two games due to a concussion, to reignite conversations about his aggressive style.
Facing a second-and-13 from the Giants' 27-yard-line late in the first quarter, Dart escaped the pocket and scrambled to his right, looking to pick up the first down as Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss closed in towards the sideline ahead of the first-down marker. Elliss lowered his shoulder and popped Dart, sparking a brief altercation between the Giants and Patriots.
After the game, Elliss was asked what sort of message a hit like that sends to the opposing QB and offense.
“Make sure to slide,” Elliss said. That's a sentiment shared by Elliss's coach, Mike Vrabel, who stated that the hit served as a “weekly reminder” to his QB—and any QB—Drake Maye to not “get too cute” on the sidelines.
While the hit led to Giants players confronting the Patriots in an attempt to come to Dart's defense, Elliss, in explaining the play, said it was nothing more than him simply doing his job.
Christian Elliss talks about his hit on Jaxson Dart on the sideline:
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) December 2, 2025
"I saw him tiptoeing, stay inbounds, what am I supposed to do? We play hard on defense, we try to bring life to this team. That's all I was trying to do - do my job and hit anything in the whites" pic.twitter.com/wJQ8H3z3fG
“During the play, I saw the scramble,” Elliss said. “I started chasing him [Dart] down. He started tiptoeing on the sidelines—and I thought he was just going to go out of bounds, but then I saw him tiptoeing, stay inbounds, what am I supposed to do? We play hard on defense, we try to bring life to this team. That's all I was trying to do—do my job and hit anything in the whites.”
After the hit, Giants tight end Theo Johnson was flagged for a personal foul after he shoved Elliss, leading to a brief scuffle between the two teams. Elliss said he understood the reaction.
“I understand it. I understand it 100%,“ Elliss said. “If that was Drake [Maye] that took that shot, we would've probably reacted the exact same way...”
Jaxson Dart has no plans to change play style
While speaking to reporters after the game, Dart was asked if there was anything he would have done differently on the play.
“No,” he said. “I understand the question, but this is football. I’m going to get hit if I’m in the pocket or outside the pocket. I’ve played this way my whole entire life. It shouldn’t be any shocker to anybody if you’ve followed along with my career. We’re not playing soccer out here. You’re going to get hit, things happen. It’s just part of the game.”
Giants coach Mike Kafka said he had thought Dart was “working his way out of bounds” before the hit. Giants offensive lineman Jon Runyan, one of the players who came to Dart's defense, saw things a bit differently.
“I told him earlier [Monday], be smart, protect ourselves,“ Runyan said, according to ESPN. ”Obviously, he's not going to listen because he's just so competitive, loves the contact. That's just how he is. We're just going to have to keep talking to him. Maybe he'll listen to us one of these days.”
Dart and the Giants, as well as Elliss and the Patriots, will head on bye in Week 14.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Patriots LB Who Leveled Jaxson Dart Had a Postgame Message for the Rookie QB.
