Troy Aikman sees the game through a quarterback’s eyes as well as any broadcaster, which makes it noteworthy he defended Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss for a huge first-quarter hit on Giants rookie QB Jaxon Dart.
Facing second-and-13 with just over four minutes left in the first quarter, Dart scrambled around the right end and ran toward the first-down marker. With Dart clearly in bounds, Elliss delivered a huge hit, which prompted a skirmish along the sidelines.
The Giants received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty following the play while Elliss was not penalized.
“That’s the right call,” Aikman said on the ESPN broadcast. “It’s a good job by these officials managing it, understanding what took place.”
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Play-by-play man Joe Buck agreed with Aikman.
Aikman expressed that Dart “absolutely” has to get out of bounds before taking such a lick.
“Dart just trying to get a little bit extra,” Aikman said. “He has to protect himself. He’s a target.”
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Aikman noted how it’s become more common for quarterbacks to stretch the limits when it comes to gaining yardage and baiting defenders on the sideline. He believes the league has done a good job trying to combat that trend.
“The quarterbacks have to accept some of the responsibility of trying to protect themselves, otherwise it puts the defenders in a really tough position,” Aikman said. “That was a big hit, but a legal one.”
