Not even Jaxson Dart is immune to the New York Giants‘ injury bug.
Dart learned that the hard way Sunday as Big Blue visited the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field for a Week 10 matchup on Sunday afternoon. Chicago drew first blood in the game, but a suspect Bears defense had no answer to slow down Jaxson Dart before he exited the game due to concerns about a possible concussion.
Dart finished with 242 passing yards and 66 yards rushing through three quarters, and left with New York leading by a touchdown at the end of the third quarter.
Caleb Williams engineered a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown-scoring drives, leading to another tough-to-swallow loss for the Giants this season. Now, the focus shifts to the health and wellness of the Giants’ rookie quarterback, who becomes the latest to visit the trainer’s table in New York.
Bears claw first-quarter lead
Kyle Monangai, a Don Bosco prep high school and Rutgers University alumni, scored the opening points of the ballgame on an eight yard run midway through the first quarter. The Ramsey, NJ-native finished the day with 28 yards on seven carries, including his touchdown run. Chicago took a 7-0 lead into the second quarter as the Giants struggled to get things going in the first frame.
Giant response in the second quarter for New York
Dart drove the Giants 80 yards down the field in 2:34 to even up the contest following Younghoe Koo’s successful point after touchdown (PAT). Dart completed a pair of 30+ yard passes to Darius Slayton to quickly move the ball down the field, and the rookie QB scored the touchdown on a three-yard scamper into the painted turf.
The Giants and Bears traded possessions before Dart positioned the team for a 32-yard field goal from Koo as the teams ran into the tunnel for halftime with New York leading 10-7.
Dart’s scores rushing TD, exits game at end of third quarter
New York received the ball to start the second half and marched down the field on a six-play, 56-yard drive to take a 17-7 lead less than three minutes into the third quarter. Dart scored his second rushing touchdown of the afternoon on a 24-yard rush to the endzone for a 16-10 advantage. Koo’s third PAT of the afternoon flipped the score to 17-10.
Williams led an eight-play, 80-yard trip down the field that ended in three points after stout goal-line defense from the Giants inside their own 10-yard line. The 23-year-old signal caller connected with Ozzy Trapilo on a 20-yard pass before drawing a pass interference on Giants defensive back Deonte Banks that put the ball on the New York 29-yard line. New York’s defense held firm to force the field goal attempt for the hometown Bears to maintain a 17-10 lead.
Dart was forced out of the game due to concussion protocols at the start of the fourth quarter, being replaced by veteran QB Russell Wilson. The 36-year-old signal caller spotted Devin Singletary on a short pass-and-catch for 41 yards that flipped the field early in the fourth quarter. Like the Bears offense was forced to, the Giants offensive unit was unable to push the ball into the endzone and settled for a 19-yard field goal from Koo to restore a 10-point cushion for New York at 20-10.
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“Another tough one,” head coach Brian Daboll said postgame. “So, with Dart, as he was going back on the field, he just didn’t seem right. He ended up going in, getting looked at, and being evaluated for a concussion.”
New York can’t hold off Chicago’s fourth quarter rally
Williams and the Bears used two big-time passes off 20 yards and 18 yards, before he dashed for a 29-yard run taking him all the way down to the New York two-yard line. Williams connected with Rome Odunze for a two-yard touchdown pass to close the game in the game, 20-17.
Chicago stopped Wilson on the next drive to get possession of the football back with three minutes remaining on the clock, and it was enough to take the lead late in the ballgame. Williams linked up with Luther Burden for a 29-yard pass, setting up a 17-yard touchdown run from the Bears QB for a 23-20 lead. Carlos Santos connected on the PAT for a 24-20 advantage, and the final points on the oversized scoreboard in Chicago.
“Ten point lead there in the fourth,” a disappointed Daboll said after the four-point loss. “Got to give them credit, their quarterback made a lot of plays, a lot of loose plays, scramble plays. [We] just didn’t get the job done.”
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