CHICAGO — New York Giants rookie defenseman Jackson Dart suffered a concussion in the second half of Sunday's match against the team Chicago Bears.
Dart was hit hard on a fumble in the third quarter, getting hit on the side as he ran from a defensive lineman backing up to make a play. His head hit the ground and he slowly rose, eventually walking to the sideline after spending a few seconds on his knees on the field.
Dart returned to action the following week, playing two games before heading to the blue medical tent between quarters. After that, he slowly walked into the locker room with the coach.
The first-round pick was eliminated later in the fourth quarter.
“Yeah, it's unfortunate,” coach Brian Daboll said. “Unfortunately, he got hurt.”
The Giants realized something was wrong between quarters. Dart walked over to the blue medical tent and his helmet was eventually pulled out and placed to the side.
“So with Dart coming back to the field didn’t feel right. So they called the trainers and said, 'Let's get him out and make sure he gets looked at,'” Daboll said. “So he came in and was examined and assessed for a concussion.”
Daboll later added as an aside, “someone said something,” indicating that Dart was wrong.
His teammates didn't notice anything in the crowd. They didn't realize Dart was potentially leaving the game until Wilson started taking snaps on the sideline with the backup center. Austin Schlottmann.
“I don’t remember why the stop was made. But Austin came over to take a photo with Russ and we saw the blue tent up and we just assumed, like, okay, I think something happened to Jackson at some point.” – Security Guard Greg VanRoten said. “And, you know, he wasn’t there. That's all.”
Dart was replaced in the game by Russell Wilsonwho completed 3-of-7 passing for 45 yards and ran twice for 12 yards. The Giants led 20–10 in the fourth quarter, but were unable to contain the Bears' rally.
The Giants (2-8) drove down the field on Wilson's first drive before settling at the 1-yard line.
“We have to find a way to land there,” Wilson said.
On the ensuing possession, the Giants went three down and went with Wilson at quarterback and pulled into the final minute with a chance to win the game. It was their franchise-record 11th straight road loss and fourth loss while leading by double digits this season. They are also the second team since the 1970 merger to lose multiple games in a season after leading by 10+ points in the final four minutes of the fourth quarter, trailing only the 2004 Seahawks.
Daboll subsequently did not respond directly to a question about whether Wilson would start next week against Green Bay Packers if Dart couldn't play. The Giants also have a veteran Jameis Winston in the registry.
Wilson said he began preparing for the game after watching Dart slowly get up after a setback.
“He made a huge effort trying to play. He did a good job of just trying to be tough and everything,” Wilson said. “I was just ready. You always have to be ready to work.”
Before leaving, Dart was 19 of 29 passing for 242 yards and 66 yards on six carries with a pair of scores. He became the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to record a rushing touchdown in five straight games.
But all the hits began to add up. Dart has ranked second among quarterbacks since becoming the starter in Week 4, averaging nearly 13 hits per contest. In addition to the normal run of the game, the Giants have called for multiple scheduled quarterback runs in each of the last few weeks. However, on the Sunday before the concussion, Dart slid several times.
This is the fourth time Dart has been diagnosed with a concussion this year, including preseason.
“I would just say it's a shame he got hurt,” Daboll said of his guard taking too many hits.
The Giants have said for weeks that they don't want to take away Dart's aggressiveness. That's part of what makes it effective.
Last week, Dart was asked how to balance his desire to win with playing smart. This is something he is still working on.
“Maybe a little. It's definitely something that when you watch the tape again, you try to remember those moments where you can save your body, whether it hit the target or not,” he said. “At the same time, it’s very difficult for me in these moments because I just want to compete. Ultimately, I just want to score.”
He later added, “I'll play the game the way I want to play it.”
Dart has become an instant sensation since becoming the starter in week four. He scored 17 touchdowns in just seven starts.
The Giants are 2-5 in these contests.
