FOXBORO — Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss despatched a message to opposing quarterbacks when he despatched Jaxson Dart flying on a tough hit whereas the Giants QB tiptoed down the sideline on a scramble.
“Be certain to slip,” Elliss mentioned after the sport.
However the hit, which wasn’t flagged since Dart was nonetheless in bounds when he was leveled, additionally despatched a message to Patriots quarterback Drake Maye.
“It’s a weekly reminder to the quarterback, our quarterback – we present them each week. I wouldn’t get too cute over there by the sidelines,” head coach Mike Vrabel mentioned. “It occurs each week. So Christian’s taking part in by the whistle, and so long as the participant’s inbounds he’s going to attempt to hit him legally.”
Maye understands it loud and clear.
“I feel it’s one thing that’s been throughout the league that has confirmed up with quarterbacks close to the boundary or close to the sideline simply type of stress-free,” Maye mentioned. “And I feel I discovered final 12 months, the Chargers I had one on that very same sideline over there. I acquired smacked on the sideline. So simply be sensible and know you’ve virtually acquired to speed up or get down or do one thing over there. I feel Jaxson, he made some good performs along with his ft, so he’s powerful to deal with.”
Dart doesn’t appear to be studying the identical lesson that Maye picked up on early in his profession. Dart missed two video games with a concussion suffered on Nov. 9 after which nonetheless refused to exit of bounds with Elliss barreling towards him.
“I’m going to maintain taking part in aggressive,” Dart informed reporters after the sport. “Hopefully all people can take a second to look at my tape going again to highschool and understand that this isn’t a shock. I play the sport aggressively. I took one hit that persons are speaking about. I slid. Received out of the way in which of numerous hits. I respect individuals wanting me to be wholesome and all that stuff and I wish to be wholesome too. I play this sport aggressively. I’m not simply going to vary how I play the sport.”
Maye has carried out a greater job of defending himself this season. He did briefly go away the Patriots’ Week 7 win over the Titans to get evaluated for a concussion however was shortly cleared to play.
