Abdul Carter has arrived.
The Giants’ No. 3 overall pick returned to the edge of the Giants’ defensive line in Week 4 and terrorized Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert with five QB hits, a forced intentional grounding and a team-high eight pressures.
Carter attributed his and the entire pass rush’s success to playing with a lead late in the game.
“Just doing my job,” Carter said. “I’m just happy we got the win. Once we get a lead, the game is getting late, time is running out, we know we gotta get on our horses. That’s when we start to hunt.”
Carter was being humble. He pressured Herbert on 25% of his pass rushes, and seven of his eight pressures were labeled “quick” quarterback pressures by NFL NextGen Stats.
Carter’s 11 “quick” QB pressures on the season put him in a four-way tie for No. 2 in the entire NFL behind only the Denver Broncos’ Nick Bonitto (15).
Carter is tied with Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett, Jacksonville Jaguars edge Josh Hines-Allen and Houston Texans edge Will Anderson Jr. with 11 apiece.
The Giants’ rookie only has a half-sack so far, back in Week 1 on Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels. But he would have had his first full sack on Sunday if Herbert hadn’t committed intentional grounding to avoid it.
That still created a huge positive play for the Giants’ defense.
Giants rookie Abdul Carter pressures Justin Herbert. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)
The key to unleashing Carter was moving him back to the edge from inside linebacker for a favorable matchup against a vulnerable Chargers front.
Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen had played Carter 43 snaps at inside linebacker and only 13 on the edge in Week 3 against the Chiefs due to the matchup and the Giants’ injuries at that position.
But on Sunday they moved him back to the edge for 42 snaps on the defensive line compared to four at inside linebacker. Then Chargers left tackle Joe Alt left the game in the first quarter with an ankle injury.
That set the table for Brian Burns (sack, four QB hits, six pressures), Kayvon Thibodeaux (sack, three QB hits, six pressures) and Carter all to take turns teeing off.
Carter especially was destroying Chargers backup left tackle Austin Deculus.
He beat him inside several times and sprinted around him on the outside on another rush. And Bowen also had success sending Carter inside on stunts, where Chargers left guard Jamaree Salyer had trouble catching up.
Carter’s day wasn’t perfect. He committed a killer offsides penalty on fourth down late in the first half, which gave the Chargers a new set of downs just before Herbert hit Quentin Johnston for a deep touchdown pass.
But the rookie took accountability for it.
“I never want to make a critical mistake like that,” Carter said. “I put that touchdown on me. If I do my job, stay onsides, that don’t happen. But I learned from it and use it as motivation.”
That’s why Jaxson Dart isn’t the only Giants first-round pick who should be the talk of the town this week.