Abdul Carter practically doubled his enjoying time in Week 2 at Dallas, and he pressured Dak Prescott right into a third-quarter interception with a ferocious stress on a blitz.
However the No. 3 total choose, identical to the remainder of the Giants‘ protection, didn’t make sufficient of an impression when the Cowboys surged late to dump the Giants, 40-37, in additional time.
The rookie performed a whopping 67 snaps, 75% of the Giants’ defensive workload, after logging solely 38 snaps (54%) within the staff’s season opening loss at Washington.
He created 5 pressures on Prescott, per NFL NextGen Stats, second on the staff solely to Kayvon Thibodeaux (six). And he beat Cowboys heart Cooper Beebee whereas blitzing as an off-ball linebacker to rush Prescott right into a throw to Giants nook Dru Phillips.
“I was over the center, beat him across the face, got to the quarterback [and] Dru made a big play,” Carter stated.
When Brandon Aubrey’s game-winning area purpose went by way of the uprights, although, Carter’s ultimate stat line confirmed just one sort out and one quarterback hit.
His 5 pressures had been an enchancment on his team-high three pressures towards the Commanders in Week 1, however his field rating largely went in the other way regardless of his elevated enjoying time from his three tackles, half-sack and quarterback hit at Washington.
The Giants’ protection and move rush truly had success early and appeared a step forward of Dallas’ offensive sport plan at first, however Carter stated the Cowboys discovered success as a result of “I believe they began to get the ball out somewhat bit faster.
“They made some plays,” he stated, “but we just gotta do better.”
Carter, 21, stated the Giants’ protection primarily didn’t “finish” nicely sufficient of their second straight NFC East loss.
“Finish drives, end of quarters not allowing them to drive downfield, there’s a lot of things we can get better at,” Carter stated. “We gotta watch the tape and see all the things we gotta correct … improve and get ready for next week.”
The rookie admitted Russell Wilson’s large day on offense excited your entire staff. Now they simply have to enhance one another.
“Yeah for sure,” Carter stated. “He made two long bombs to Leek [Malik Nabers]. That was some of the craziest plays I’ve seen. They played their ass off. We gotta do better as a team.”
Doing higher could imply Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen persevering with to re-evaluate the place the Giants line Carter up when he’s on the sphere.
He solely logged eight of his 67 snaps (11%) at off-ball linebacker, in comparison with 59 on the road of scrimmage. That was truly a decrease share of snaps at off-ball linebacker than his 5 out of 33 snaps in Week 2 (15%).
However Carter made his most impactful play of the sport on a working head begin from on off-ball linebacker place. He tends to get caught within the wash up entrance on some run performs.
And Thibodeaux has been too impactful currently for Daboll and Bowen to take him off the sphere a lot. To not point out that the Giants are decimated at off-ball linebacker.
Their No. 1 inside linebacker Bobby Okereke is wholesome, however behind him, No. 2 linebacker Micah McFadden (foot) and No. 4 linebacker Chris Board are on injured reserve. And No. 3 linebacker Darius Muasau is within the concussion protocol.
On Tuesday, the Giants signed veteran linebacker Neville Hewitt and younger linebacker Curtis Jacobs to the observe squad and inked linebacker Swayze Bozeman to the lively roster after his Giants debut Sunday off the observe squad.
Hewitt, 32, an Eleventh-year veteran, began 4 video games for the Houston Texans final season. He’s a particular groups participant who performs the run nicely.
Nonetheless, the Giants want Carter on the sphere, and they should unlock his most impression.
The rookie stays assured because the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs (0-2) roll into city for Sunday Night time Soccer. He stated whereas the losses “for sure” damage, “you can’t let the losses affect you too much.”
“It’s still all about winning, and sometimes you’re not gonna win,” he stated. “But you gotta learn from the losses so the next time you can turn that into a win.”
Right here comes Patrick Mahomes. Right here come the Chiefs. And right here comes Carter and the Giants, simply as determined to be taught from their errors and get their first victory of the NFL season.
ROSTER MOVES
The Giants additionally re-signed huge receiver Dalen Cambre to the observe squad and minimize tight finish Qadir Ismail and defensive again Patrick McMorris from the observe squad as a part of their roster shuffle.
