J.J. Dart, the New York Giants quarterback, is prepared to do just that when his team takes on the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football. Unfortunately for him, this matchup proves a decisive moment in his career. After scintillatingly recovering from his injury, Dart lives. He’ll get all the first-team reps this week to get ready for the game. SMS interim coach Mike Kafka dropped the news on Friday, shining a light on Dart’s readiness to embrace the moment.
Dart returns after not passing the concussion protocol last week. With him getting ready to come back, it was not meant to be. He talked about how badly he wants to be back on the field and how waiting for this opportunity has felt like forever. This game represents a pivotal moment in Dart’s progression. It’ll be their inaugural game following the November 10th firing of ex-head coach Brian Daboll.
In his first presser since the injury, Dart got fired up talking about connecting with Daboll on such a fundamental level. He understood just how important his former coach was for developing his growth. He stated, “I have all the respect in the world for him. He’s an incredible offensive mind. He’s done an amazing job developing me up until this point, and you know, this business is a beast.”
Defensively Dart has had great difficulty, giving up an average of almost ten hits per game. He recalled that he once had to slide twice in the same match. He believed the hit that resulted in his concussion to be unavoidable. Reflecting on his performance in a recent game against the Chicago Bears, he mentioned, “I didn’t see any hits that I should’ve avoided,” emphasizing that he believed he was playing smart while executing six designed runs called by Daboll.
Still, even with his resilience pushing him to play through it all, Dart acknowledged that he wasn’t always in the right mental mindset for games. “I wasn’t in a good space to be out there,” he said, indicating the impact of injuries on his mental readiness. He commended the Giants’ medical staff for having his back throughout his recovery process.
As Dart prepares for their crucial matchup Monday night, he knows he has to be more accessible to his teammates in the future. “Moving forward, I have to be more available for this team,” he mentioned, underscoring his commitment to improving and contributing to the Giants’ success.
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