Abdul Carter isn’t making enough of an impact right now, just like almost every other player on the Giants.
The NFL Draft‘s No. 3 overall pick was the first one to say it this week when asked specifically about how he has defended the run.
“I gotta do better,” Carter told the Daily News at his locker. “It’s about being more physical, more violent, being in the right gap. I just gotta do better.”
Carter, 22, is a proud and intense person.
He is used to making game-changing plays from his days starring at Penn State, and he ranks sixth in the NFL with an 8.1% “quick” quarterback pressure percentage, per NFL NextGen Stats.
So he has remained confident despite only having a half of a sack through nine games.
But it was clear listening to Carter this week that he’s restless and determined to do something about both the Giants’ losing and his lack of production.
“It’s been a learning process,” Carter said. “I’m holding myself accountable more.”
For what?
“For the negative plays,” he said. “I’m honed in on that.”
The negative plays aren’t as obvious and don’t often show up on the stat sheet, but they’re there. And Carter needs to clean them up.
One that jumps out immediately is Tank Bigsby’s 29-yard run on 2nd and 26 for the Eagles in Week 8.
Carter chased the play up field too hastily and left a gaping hole on the line of scrimmage for Bigsby to explode into the second level.
“It’s not just one play,” he said, when asked about the Bigsby run.
Carter still leads the Giants defense with a 4.3% run stop percentage, per ESPN Stats & Info, with six “run stuffs” — meaning he shut down those runs before they were even able to get going.
But Pro Football Focus also has Carter with the highest missed tackle rate on the team at 23.1% (six missed tackles).
The Giants need more across the board from the NFL Draft’s No. 3 overall pick, and he knows it — even though Carter has the third most quick quarterback pressures in the league (20) behind only the Broncos’ Nik Bonitto (28) and the Texans’ Will Anderson Jr. (21).
He’s tied for ninth with 34 overall pressures with the Browns’ Myles Garrett but only 34th in QB pressure rate at 13.7%.
Carter did a get taste of his playmaking back last Sunday against the 49ers.
Brian Burns strip-sacked Mac Jones late in the second quarter, and Carter caught the fluttering ball in the air to give the offense premium field position.
Carter even kept the ball and walked out of the locker room with it after the game.
By the middle of the week, though, Carter wasn’t impressed with that play.
“Yeah, I moved on from that right after the game,” he said.
Why isn’t he more excited about that play?
“We lost,” Carter said.
That’s the bottom line.
The Giants are losing, and Carter is trying to do something about it.
GANO OUT, KOO IN
Giants kicker Graham Gano (herniated disc in neck) is out Sunday, meaning Younghoe Koo will make his team debut against the Bears. Several other players are out: corner Paulson Adebo (knee), center John Michael Schmitz (shin), linebacker Darius Muasau (ankle), defensive lineman Chauncey Golston (neck) and wide receiver Beaux Collins (neck). Outside linebacker Victor Dimukeje (shoulder) is doubtful, and right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor (pec) and safety Jevón Holland (knee) are questionable.
