Abdul Carter, punished for being late, is relegated to the bench by the Giants
New York Giants rookie Abdul Carter was benched in the first quarter of Monday night’s game against the New England Patriots due to tardiness. This was the second time in three games that the rookie linebacker was benched. Giants’ interim coach Mike Kafka described the situation as a “coach’s decision,” repeating the phrase on several occasions. Carter missed two offensive series, both resulting in points for the Patriots. When he finally entered the game, the Giants were already losing 17-0.This situation is costing him playing time and hurting his team. Carter, who was expected to be a starter, was informed during the week that he would spend the first quarter on the bench as punishment. Adapting to professional life has been an adjustment for Carter, selected in the third position of this year’s draft, coming from Penn State. Both Kafka, Carter, and the Giants avoided giving specific details about the infraction, limiting themselves to confirming that Carter was late again. This has been a recurring problem throughout the season.“Shit happens. I’m not going to go into details. Shit happens.”
Abdul Carter
Carter was also benched in the home game against the Green Bay Packers on November 16 for missing a rehearsal. On that occasion, the Giants believed he had overslept, although Carter claimed he was receiving treatment. Regardless of the situation, Carter didn’t seem to learn the lesson the first time. However, he claimed he did this time. He had to watch from the bench as the Patriots scored a field goal and a touchdown on their first two offensive series, as well as a punt return for a score.“It’s definitely frustrating. But you have to stay on top of the young players and help them learn from these mistakes.”
Dexter Lawrence II
Giants defensive captain Brian Burns believes this time was different from the first penalty. Carter finally entered the game on the Giants’ first defensive series in the second quarter, making an immediate impact by recording a sack on quarterback Drake Maye, ending New England’s offensive series. Kafka imposed the discipline last month to emphasize responsibility. After the defeat against the Packers, he initially described it as a “coach’s decision”. “I made a mistake during the week that was detrimental to the team,” Carter said after that incident. “That was the consequence. You have to live with it.” This is the second time Carter has lost playing time since Kafka replaced Brian Daboll, who was fired last month. Several players have commented that accountability has been an issue for the Giants (2-11). Why did it happen again with Carter?“I left my team hanging [on Monday night]. In the first two series, I wasn’t there. They scored 17 points. I take responsibility for that. I have to get better.”
Abdul Carter
The Giants have lost seven consecutive games overall and a record 13 consecutive away games, dating back to last season. Carter entered Monday’s game with only a half-sack in 12 games, despite being second on the team with 12 quarterback hits. He had four tackles and the sack in the final three quarters on Monday night. “Listen, when he came back to the game, you saw the impact he had and the player this kid is,” Kafka said. “This is a kid that, again, I support. I support this kid a lot. And for any young player we have on the roster, whether it’s Abdul or any rookie or young player, we’re going to make sure we take them under our wing and continue to develop these guys because they’re important to us. They’re important to me.”“Stubborn, man. Stubborn. And, to be fair to him, the schedule is a little unstable. But you have to be a professional and know where you need to be and when you need to be there.”
Dexter Lawrence II
