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The Washington Commanders did not try to hide their game plan for Jaxson Dart — they wanted to “go out hitting.”
That’s what “Hard Knocks” cameras caught head coach Dan Quinn telling his team as they prepared to face the New York Giants and the rookie sensation, who has been checked for five concussions and diagnosed with one since the preseason began.
It is no secret that Dart uses his legs as a weapon, but the rookie has probably taken one too many hits. Quinn pointed out a New England Patriots linebacker’s crushing blow on Dart two weeks ago in Dart’s return from a concussion.
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The Washington Commanders defense tries to take down New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) in the second quarter, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images)
“When he’s out here, he is a running back first,” Quinn said. “This is a good hit by Christian Elliss on the sideline, all right? He is not looking to go down and get in the slide. We got to go out hitting, fellas.”
Dart scoffed at Quinn’s comments, much as he has to other concerns about the hits he has taken this season, stating their game plan is nothing he hasn’t seen before.
“I mean, [Georgia coach] Kirby Smart said the exact same thing every time he played against me, so did [former Alabama coach] Nick Saban, so did every coach that I played in college,’’ Dart, an Ole Miss alum, said Wednesday after practice, via SNY. “This is nothing new. This isn’t like a new thing that’s been brought up in my career.”
Washington Commanders defensive end Jacob Martin tackles New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart at MetLife Stadium. (Robert Deutsch/Imagn Images)
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Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. echoed Quinn’s sentiments.
“The quarterback is a very competitive dual-threat guy,’’ Whitt said in a meeting. “He will try to run the ball like a running back. He will try to run you over. He will try to stiff-arm. He doesn’t really run out of bounds. He doesn’t slide a whole bunch. We can get the ball off of him. The ball is life, it is air, and we need it.”
The Commanders went on the road to take down the Giants, 29-21, even with Marcus Mariota at the helm. Dart’s 55.6 completion percentage was his lowest mark of the season, but he did run nine times for 63 yards.
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Dart has garnered an even 400 yards on the ground on 80 carries, seven of which have resulted in touchdowns. He will surely look to add to those numbers against a stout Minnesota Vikings defense Sunday in New Jersey.
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