Big Blue View
New York Giants rookie Abdul Carter has endured a turbulent few weeks amid a season that has spiraled into despair. Despite the absence of fellow edge defender Kayvon Thibodeaux, Carter did not start in Week 11 against the Green Bay Packers, which was relevant because it was interim head coach Mike Kafka’s first game after Brian Daboll was fired. Kafka sought to set a new standard of accountability.
Carter was held out of the opening defensive series after missing a walk-through, and two weeks later in New England, he was benched for the first quarter after missing a special teams meeting. These benchings sparked intense scrutiny from the Giants’ media and fan base, placing Carter at the center of frustration from a disappointed following.
New York entered their BYE week with just two wins (2-11). Interim defensive coordinator Charlie Bullen stated that Carter responded well with a good week of practice, and Bullen said the rookie had a “new commitment to the process.” Carter substantiated Bullen’s glowing comments with this performance in Week 15:
Carter made critical plays late in the fourth quarter that gave the Giants a real opportunity to win — including a key strip-sack and a late fumble recovery that set up a final chance to tie the game in what had otherwise been a disappointing loss.
Carter now has 2.5 sacks on the season with a team-leading 48 pressures, and he ranks 16th in the NFL in total pressures. His ability to win quickly off the snap has been one of his most impactful traits all season — a skill that hasn’t just boosted his pass-rush production, but has also helped him defeat blocks and make plays in the run game.
Carter recorded five STOPs against the run against Washington, bringing his season total to 17 run-defense STOPs, and he had never logged more than two in a single game before Week 15. Here are some of those positive run-defense plays:
First play of the game!
(Abdul Carter is No. 51, right side of screen)
Carter does an elite job against Laremy Tunsil. From the PISTOL formation with Noah Brown (85) lead blocking, Washington attempted to run at Carter, and the young rookie maintained a low center of gravity outside the star tackle and flowed laterally to set the edge. A pursuing defender, Roy Robertson-Harris (95), rewarded Carter’s efforts with help from the backside, but it was Carter who disengaged from Tunsil and made the play. This is team defense — not the most common sight from the Giants. What an excellent way to start the game for Carter, especially after the aforementioned issues.
Later in the first quarter, on first-and-10, Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury called a fake end-around with Jacory Croskey-Merritt (22) receiving the snap and running toward Carter and a safety blitz by Jevon Holland (8). Carter got drawn inside and quickly pivoted outward to track down Croskey-Merrit, who was successfully contained by a pursuing Dexter Lawrence (97)...
