{"id":320003,"date":"2025-12-02T06:51:08","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T06:51:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/320003\/"},"modified":"2025-12-02T06:51:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T06:51:08","slug":"another-hard-hit-to-jaxson-dart-underscores-tough-return-for-giants-rookie-quarterback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/320003\/","title":{"rendered":"Another hard hit to Jaxson Dart underscores tough return for Giants rookie quarterback"},"content":{"rendered":"

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) \u2014 The return of Jaxson Dart<\/a> to the New York Giants<\/a> lineup didn\u2019t provide much of a spark, though the rookie quarterback came close to learning a valuable lesson the hard way.<\/p>\n

In the first quarter of Monday night\u2019s 33-15 loss to the New England Patriots<\/a>, Dart scrambled out of the pocket to make a play. As he neared the Giants sideline, Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss<\/a> delivered a hard but legal hit, briefly sending Dart airborne.<\/p>\n

Dart missed the previous two games with a concussion, underscoring why there would be concern after Elliss came charging in his direction. Dart shrugged off the hit to finish 17 of 24 for 139 yards and one touchdown pass, but the Giants dropped their seventh straight game.<\/p>\n

\u201cJaxson\u2019s an aggressive football player. He\u2019s on the sideline, trying to get himself out of bounds. He bounced up. He\u2019s a tough kid,\u201d Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka said. \u201cObviously, we don\u2019t want him to take any hits that are unnecessary.\u201d<\/p>\n

One New York player \u2013 tight end Theo Johnson<\/a> \u2013 took exception to the hit and immediately got in Elliss\u2019 face. After a brief scuffle that involved players from both sides and concluded with an unnecessary roughness penalty assessed to Johnson, the sight of Dart standing upright and leading the huddle was interpreted as a close call that went the Giants\u2019 way for a change.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would do the same for him (Johnson). That\u2019s the relationship that we have. You saw the O-line get in there. We have each other\u2019s backs,\u201d Dart said. \u201cIt\u2019s not fun losing. It doesn\u2019t look super bright from the outside, but it takes time to turn things around. Everybody wants it now. I\u2019m hoping that we can continue to build and find a little bit of momentum.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 12-yard run also served as a reminder that if Dart doesn\u2019t alter his approach, his shelf life as an NFL quarterback may be drastically cut short. From his point of view, it\u2019s about staying true to an outlook he insists has worked for him since high school.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is football. Whether I\u2019m inside the pocket or outside the pocket, I\u2019m going to get hit. We\u2019re not playing soccer out there. It\u2019s just part of the game,\u201d Dart said. \u201cI\u2019ve played this way my entire life. It shouldn\u2019t be a shocker to anyone who has followed my career.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dart doesn\u2019t have far to look when it comes to an example of a young quarterback changing his viewpoint when it comes to being more cautious. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye<\/a>\u2019s rookie season included battling concussion concerns that heightened the importance of learning to slide more effectively to avoid future injuries.<\/p>\n

Now in his second year taking snaps from center for New England, Maye has managed to steer clear of the issues that plagued him a season ago. With a prime-time audience looking on, Maye strengthened his MVP candidacy and helped the Patriots take another step in their quest to win the AFC East for the first time since 2019, which was Tom Brady\u2019s final season at Gillette Stadium.<\/p>\n

On a night when Maye passed for 282 yards and two touchdowns, his fourth-quarter decision to slide as he approached the boundary closest to the Giants sideline represented an area of growth for a player who was once in Dart\u2019s shoes. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s done a great job,\u201d Dart said when asked about Maye postgame. \u201cI\u2019m not into comparisons. Everyone\u2019s journey is different. I\u2019ve known Drake for years. He also struggled during his first year. I\u2019m just trying my best to change this franchise around and do my part. Just have to stay diligent with that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even though he\u2019s taken some big hits this season, Dart plans to continue making plays with his arm and legs. He also provided a concise and to-the-point response to those questioning his physical and competitive approach.<\/p>\n

\u201cTell them thanks for looking out for me,\u201d Dart said. <\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

AP NFL: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/nfl<\/p>\n

Brendan Mcgair, The Associated Press<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) \u2014 The return of Jaxson Dart to the New York Giants lineup didn\u2019t provide much…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":320004,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[436],"tags":[49,48,514,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-320003","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nfl","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-nfl","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320003","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=320003"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320003\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/320004"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=320003"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=320003"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=320003"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}