As the New England Patriots exited Gillette Stadium with a 33-15 win against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football, one player in particular left the field with some new notoriety.
Linebacker Christian Elliss delivered one of the hardest hits of the year on Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart as the QB was scrambling towards the sideline during a play in the first quarter.
Elliss’ Hit Heard Round the World
The hit was completely legal, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt. Giants players did not agree with Elliss’ decision, and officials had to break up the ensuing scuffle between the teams, led by New York tight end Theo Johnson.
Giants coaches and players wanted a flag and ejection for Elliss, but the replay clearly showed the linebacker tackled Dart in bounds and before he stopped running.
During the postgame press conference, Elliss defended his hit on Dart, citing the legality of the contact and the tenacity he plays with on defense.
“I saw him tiptoeing, (staying) inbounds,” Elliss said. “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.”
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel echoed that sentiment.
“Christian’s playing through the whistle,” Vrabel said. “And as long as the player’s in bounds, he’s gonna try to hit him legally.”
Dart’s Used to the Pressure
Ever since the Giants gave Jaxson Dart the starting quarterback job in Week 4, defenses have lit him up.
Opponents have sacked Dart 23 times so far this season. According to the Monday Night Football broadcast, Dart has taken the second most hits by any quarterback since Week 4 with over 80 instances of contact by the opposing defense.
Football fans know the Ole Miss alum for his hardnosed style of football. Dart is a competitor to the very end, sometimes to his own detriment.
“This is football,” Dart said in the postgame press conference when asked about the hit. “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.”
Elliss is going to get criticism from Giants fans and media for the rest of the week, and probably shouldn’t open any DMs from people he doesn’t know from the New York area.
But his hit on Dart showcases that defense is still very much alive, and that as long as it’s legal, players are going to do whatever they can to stop the opposing offense.
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