Missing two games due to a concussion isn't going to alter Jaxson Dart's game.
The rookie returned to the lineup Monday night against the New England Patriots, and almost immediately got blasted. During a first-quarter scamper up the sideline, Dart declined to step out of bounds, got lit up by Christian Elliss, and was sent flying into the bench area. It was a legal hit, but Dart's teammates took exception, with tight end Theo Johnson getting flagged for the foul.
"Look, like, I understand the question, but this is football," he said following the 33-15 loss, via the team's official transcript. "Like, I'm going to get hit if I'm in the pocket or outside the pocket. I feel like I played this way my whole entire life. It shouldn't be any shocker to anybody if you 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."
Dart added that the hit "didn't hurt, so that didn't play any thought in my mind."
The Giants' dynamic young quarterback was hit often Monday night, taking two sacks and the Pats picked up seven QB hits on 24 pass attempts. Dart also ran four times for 20 yards. He finished 17 of 24 passing for 139 yards with one touchdown toss.
The quarterback has been a breath of fresh air for a franchise that has lived in the cellar much of the past decade. However, there is concern that his style of play won't afford him a long career. He's been checked for concussions in multiple games this season before missing the past two tilts with symptoms.
Dart was adamant that he doesn't need to change his style, nor is he willing to consider that approach for fear it would hinder his game.
"My body feels good. I got knocked out of the game against Chicago on a fluke play," he said. "You watch the hit, I lose control of the ball and I don't brace myself because I'm trying to re-catch the ball. It's not because of the hit. It's because I lost the ball. So just like any other league, you take new steps, there's bigger, faster players. My body feels good. I'm going to play aggressive. I feel like if I just turn into a complete pocket passer, that's just not how I want to play the game. I feel like there's an advantage to me using my legs."
Interim coach Mike Kafka didn't scrutinise the play from his quarterback, even the big hits.
"Obviously, don't want him to take any hits that are unnecessary, but he was working his way out of bounds," Kafka said.
Dart insisted that he doesn't need to change how he plays, noting that he did slide on several runs.
"Like I said, I played like this my whole life," he said. "Turn on my high school tape, turn on my college tape, it's not a shocker to anybody. It's how I've played. I felt like if you just watch the game, like, I did slide. I did avoid a lot of hits, so you're going to get hit. It's football."
Yet, NFL players are bigger, faster, stronger than anything Dart has faced, even during his SEC days.
It's natural for a player to want to hang on to an aspect of his game that makes him dynamic. But growth and development in avoiding big hits are needed to ensure he's not a flash in the pan, like so many other quarterbacks before him.
"I told him earlier [Monday], be smart, protect ourselves. Obviously, he's not going to listen because he's just so competitive, loves the contact," Giants offensive lineman Jon Runyan said. "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."
