EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — New York Giants rookie edge rusher Abdul Carter looked at Sunday against the Washington Commanders as a “statement” game from a personal standpoint.
Veteran Brian Burns considered it his “coming-out party.”
This is what the Giants and Carter’s teammates expected when he was selected with the third overall pick out of Penn State earlier this year. He had seven tackles, three tackles for a loss, a sack and two forced fumbles against the Commanders. And it came after being benched for the second time in three games for missing meetings.
“Just doing my job. Playing fast. Playing hard. Simple as that,” Carter said. “Nothing too much.”
It has been a rocky first season for Carter. Aside from the two benchings, he came into Sunday with only one tackle for a loss. He had just 1.5 sacks.
But Carter was also 19th among all players with 34 pressures, just four behind Burns and ahead of players such as Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt, the Jets’ Jermaine Johnson and Kansas City’s George Karlaftis. So it’s not as if Carter has been completely ineffective. His play just hasn’t been consistent and has lacked splashy plays.
That wasn’t the case on Sunday when he became the first Giants rookie since Jason Pierre-Paul in 2010 to force two fumbles in a game.
It’s still just one performance. The Giants want to see this version of Carter more often and don’t want to have to bench him in order to provide the necessary motivation. That’s not sustainable.
“I’m happy he had his game. He had his little game,” Giants veteran defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence said after Sunday’s loss. “But we have to come back and do it again next week. That is greatness.”
The hope is that it has finally clicked for Carter. His attitude and work ethic have been a point of contention throughout the season.
Interim coach Mike Kafka and outside linebackers coach and new defensive coordinator Charlie Bullen raved about the way Carter returned last week from the bye and worked hard. They saw a renewed player who they said was in the building at 7:30 a.m. watching film. By noting that, it seemed to indicate that wasn’t the norm throughout the season.
“His response, quite honestly, has been incredible after both of those moments,” Bullen said last week. “I mean, he’s taken ownership publicly, in the building with his teammates and coaches. And then, honestly, just in terms of, like, pattern behavior, he’s doing more. He’s watching more film. He’s coming in earlier and staying later.
“So the response is what I focus on. Everybody makes mistakes. Everybody needs to learn the NFL process, which he’s learning right now. But his response to those moments has been awesome. It’s been pro-like. And that’s all you’re asking a young player to do is just become a pro as they grow in their game. And he has.”
The on-field results were undoubtedly positive. Carter’s three tackles for a loss were the most by any Giants rookie since it became an official stat in 1999.
“It means a lot,” Carter said. “Feel like it was a statement, but it would have been more satisfying if we got the win.”
It’s a step in the right direction during a trying rookie year. Bullen and Kafka have talked about how the extra work, the film study and the little details can make a difference. Burns is the ideal example.
There have been instances where Burns’ film study at home or after hours has led to him recognizing a certain look or formation in games. As a result, he turned it into a sack or tackle for a loss. Burns is fourth in the NFL with 18 TFLs and second with 13.0 sacks.
These are the kinds of things that Carter can learn from veterans such as Burns and Lawrence.
“His ceiling is through the roof,” Lawrence said. “There’s a lot to go into this game and us, as vets, got to help him understand that and teach him that.”
Now, the question is whether Carter can make a habit of it all, from the start of the week to the game. If anything, Sunday’s performance against the Commanders shows that if he puts in the requisite time and work, the results should follow.
The Giants have never doubted the talent, even when the sacks and stats didn’t follow.
“Abdul, he put together a good week of practice. It showed up in the game,” Kafka said on Monday. “I was happy for — anytime a young player can step up and kind of start turning the page and improving. But now the challenge, just like it is for everybody, is can you do that again? You have a good game, can you stack another day? Can you stack another week? Can you stack another game?”
