In the preseason opener vs the Minnesota Vikings, it was deja vu for New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart. He continued his tradition of hitting the medical tent from last year after taking a brutal hit. Dart thought it was not necessary. But Harbaugh is of a different opinion.
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“I’m not going to be critical of the league, or whoever is doing that upstairs,” the head coach said, via Talkin’ Giants. “They do their job and they want to protect the players. I’m sure there’s history or whatever they might remember.
“Maybe that comes into play. I don’t know if a similar situation, another quarterback would have been called in the tent or not. There’s no way for us to know that. So just nothing we can worry about.”
Dart completed three of his four pass attempts for 26 yards and a touchdown, and was sacked twice. On his second sack, Vikings safety Jay Ward broke through the New York Giants’ protection and struck Dart in the torso, sending him to the ground. He lay motionless on the ground for a moment before getting back up and was checked by trainers on the sideline.
He was then sent to the blue tent to be evaluated for a concussion. During the post-game presser, Dart’s interview hinted at his slight frustration with this rule.
“As far as the blue tent, I really respect the rules and the thought behind the NFL has of keeping players healthy and reviewing things,” he said. “But at the same time, I’m still puzzled by it just feeling like every time that I get hit, I just find my way in there. Which, at times, I still try to wrap my head around.”
As he headed to the blue tent, he was replaced by Jameis Winston. This marked Dart’s sixth trip to the camp and first after his rookie season. While the quarterback’s frustration was directed at this rule introduced in 2017, Harbaugh addressed the main issue that led to Dart’s confusion.
“We just keep playing football, and we’ll just try to do a better job of protecting him,” said the head coach. “And there’s no way he should have been hit there.”
Well, Harbaugh might rely on a run-heavy scheme, but he does prioritize pass protection. With that intention, he signed a two-year contract with fullback Patrick Ricard this offseason. In the Giants’ running back room, featuring physical blocker Cam Skattebo and veteran Devin Singletary, at 6-foot-3 and weighing 300-pounds, all eyes are on Ricard.