Christian Elliss Sets the Tone for Patriots with Physical Statement Against Giants
In a game that was as much about grit as it was about execution, Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss made sure his presence was felt early - and often - in Monday night’s win over the Giants. His hits weren’t just loud; they were message-sending, tone-setting plays that rippled through both sidelines.
The first came in the opening quarter, when Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart tried to pick up a first down on second-and-12, sprinting toward the sideline. Elliss met him with force, delivering a hit that launched Dart out of bounds and sparked immediate reaction from Giants players. Tight end Theo Johnson took exception and was flagged for unnecessary roughness after getting into it with Elliss.
From Elliss’ perspective, it was simple: if a quarterback wants to run like a ball carrier, he’s going to get treated like one.
“If it’s our guy, I want him going down or going out of bounds,” Elliss said the next day on WEEI. “But if that’s how he wants to play, then he’s a hard-nosed, tough guy - that’s just what’s gonna happen.”
Elliss didn’t stop there. In the second quarter, he was involved in a special teams play that ended with Giants returner Gunner Olszewski fumbling the football.
Olszewski was already being tackled by Patriots linebacker Marte Mapu when Elliss came in to finish the play, making helmet-to-helmet contact that drew concern but no flag. Officials ruled the hit incidental, and while Olszewski exited the game with a head injury and didn’t return, Elliss’ hit was deemed legal.
Head coach Mike Vrabel had Elliss’ back afterward, both in terms of the legality of the hits and the character of the player delivering them.
“There’s nothing illegal about anything that he did,” Vrabel said. “There’s nothing dirty. It’s him playing football.”
Vrabel went on to praise Elliss’ all-around contribution - not just on defense, but on special teams, where he’s carved out a reputation as a high-effort, high-impact player.
“He takes a lot of pride in that unit,” Vrabel said. “He’s a great teammate.
His teammates care deeply about him. He cares about this football team.
He’s got great relationships throughout the building with his coaches and obviously with his teammates. That’s another special group - the linebacker group.
Christian got us going.”
Elliss, for his part, acknowledged the reaction his physical play stirred - especially from Giants fans, who flooded him and his family with messages after the game. But that comes with the territory when you play with an edge.
And if there was any lingering confusion about how Elliss approaches mobile quarterbacks, he made it clear: “Make sure to slide.”
In a league that’s constantly debating the line between hard-nosed and reckless, Elliss is walking that line with purpose - and giving the Patriots a physical identity in the process.