Going into their final primetime game of the season, and the last game separating them from their bye week, it was crucial for the New England Patriots to come out strong against the New York Giants and establish their dominance early, something they hadn't been able to do much throughout the course of the season.
They accomplished that in all phases of the game on Monday night, with a noticeable difference in their physicality on display throughout the night.
It was particularly apparent in the defense, which was good to see after a rough start to the season, plagued by missed tackles and allowing opposing offenses to go down quickly and score on first drives. That wasn't the case for the Giants, and one Patriots defender, Christian Elliss, made sure he brought the boom as often as possible.
He created quite a stir with a big hit on rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart on the sideline, prompting Dart's teammates to come to his defense and chase Elliss down until a flag was thrown. Fortunately, the officials made the right call and didn't penalize the linebacker, but that didn't stop analysts and fans from suggesting it was an illegal hit.
That was quickly shot down by the ESPN commentators and several players watching the game, and even the Patriots themselves, including Elliss, who had a blunt but accurate response to Dart's play.
Jaxson Dart should listen to the advice he's being given from countless players after Christian Elliss' big hit
Of course, Elliss was asked about his big hit by reporters after the game, just like Mike Vrabel was, and the linebacker had a quick yet pointed bit of advice for Dart about what to do to avoid that kind of play in the future.
Q: What kind of message does a hit like that send to the opposing offense, opposing quarterback?
— Alex Barth (@RealAlexBarth) December 2, 2025
Christian Elliss: "Um, make sure to slide."
Sliding would have certainly made things better, or even just stepping out of bounds a second or two sooner. That would have ensured Dart avoided any unnecessary hits, especially since he just came back from a concussion that forced him to miss last week's game.
It's a lesson he will learn the more he plays, and it looks like something that took a while for him to understand. But even with that big hit, Dart told reporters after the game he has no intention of changing how he plays and understands he will be hit hard, noting that's just part of the game.
While that's true, quarterbacks need to avoid situations like this at all costs. Stepping out of bounds would have only resulted in a few yards shorter than where the football was placed, even before the penalty on one of his teammates.
Regardless, Elliss was on fire all night and had more than one impressive play that clearly hyped up his team and kept them playing aggressively. That will be how they need to perform the rest of the season, with the playoffs now in focus and the division looking like it will be theirs once again.