Idaho’s Christian Elliss hit on Jaxson Dart sparks MNF brawl between Patriots, Giants

Monday Night Fights.

The New York Giants might be eliminated from playoff contention, but they aren’t going quietly into the night. Especially as the New England Patriots take aim at Big Blue’s rookie quarterback.

Jaxson Dart cleared concussion protocol ahead of the Giants’ Week 13 trip to New England, allowing him to retake his spot at the starting quarterback.

The Patriots certainly didn’t waste any time reintroducing the rookie to the pros, however, as Christian Elliss (Idaho) laid the boom on Dart during a 33-15 win in Foxborough, Mass.

Both teams sparred following the play, but only the Giants’ Theo Johnson was flagged for a personal foul.

It was the second time in as many drives that Dart took a big hit from a Patriots’ defender and the second time it drew a reaction from the visiting team.

Reports indicated that the Giants were going to protect Dart from himself, opting to remove designed runs from the playbook to avoid any unnecessary hits, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.

While the hit didn’t look good, it was a legal one from Elliss. The linebacker hit the quarterback in the shoulder while he was still in bounds.

The Giants are hoping to coach that out of Dart, encouraging him to prioritize his health more going forward.

Early returns aren’t promising, but Elliss’ hit was yet another teaching moment for the rookie quarterback.

Elliss wasn’t done there either. He delivered a hit to the head of kick returner Gunner Olszewski, which forced a fumble and led to a Patriots field goal.

Elliss finished with a team-high 11 tackles and a pass defense.