The New York Giants fell to 2-11 on the season after a 33-15 loss to the New England Patriots on Monday night. The game marked the return of rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, who missed two games after suffering a concussion against the Chicago Bears.
Because of that, many Giants fans were left holding their collective breath on several occasions. The most notable was on a scramble where he was launched out of bounds by Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss. This led to a scrum between multiple Giants and Patriots players, and resulted in a penalty on Theo Johnson for starting the scrum.
Dart has run a lot this season. Monday marked the first time he tallied less than five rushes, and he has 337 rushing yards on the season to go with seven rushing scores. Many have been critical of Dart for taking off as much as he does, saying he should stay in the pocket a bit more to avoid more hits. Dart, however, has made it clear that he has no intentions of being a pure pocket passer.
"I feel like if I just turn into a complete pocket passer," Dart said. "That's just not how I want to play the game. I feel like there's an advantage to me using my legs."
The rookie quarterback does have a point. The seven touchdowns on the ground speak for themselves, and he has proven to be dynamic when he takes off. It's no different than when Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels, Jalen Hurts, or any other quarterback take of. The reigning MVP, Josh Allen, just broke the NFL record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. You can't praise those quarterbacks for running, but hold it against Dart, especially when it helps the Giants' offense.
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