New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart returned to action on Monday Night Football after missing two games with a concussion. The rookie quickly threw caution to the wind by opting to stay in bounds during a first-quarter scramble and paying the price in the form of a devastating hit delivered by New England's Christian Elliss.
In real time it looked to be 50-50 in terms of late or legal and critical thinking tends to be one of the first things to go when a promising quarterback goes flying through the air. But on the ManningCast, famous quarterbacking brothers Eli and Peyton allowed themselves to process the whole play before offering comment.
And in the end, Peyton delivered an accurate assessment as Giants players rushed to Dart's defense.
"I like teammates defending their QB, but that was a legal hit," Peyton said.
“I like teammates defending their QB, but that was a legal hit.”
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The ManningCast reacts to the Giants-Patriots scuffle after the big hit on Jaxson Dart. pic.twitter.com/fgYYenypbX
Eli mentioned that such a play would have been the perfect opportunity for Dart to simply step out of bounds so he didn't have to suffer a massive collision without any tangible benefit.
One could understand if the Mannings's first reactions were to be to protect their position but the instinct to hold on a beat and make a more informed comment is a reason why the alternate broadcast continues to have value.
Consider the postgame comments from Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and Dart himself, it seems like everyone is on the same page about what happened on the play.
Football happened.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Peyton and Eli Manning Had Fair and Balanced Reaction to Monster Hit on Jaxson Dart.
