Abdul Carter finally makes a Giants statement with huge game after pair of benchings

Abdul Carter is no longer a sleeping Giant.Get texts from Paul Schwartz with all the latest Giants news and insights, exclusive to Sports+ subscribers.

He showed up Sunday as an awakened Giant, the player the Giants expected to wreak havoc as the third-overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft.“I feel like it was a statement,” Carter said after Commanders 29, Giants 21, “but it would have been more satisfying if we got the win.”The statement was don’t sleep on him anymore.“I just watched more film, being better at being a pro, being a better teammate.I feel that’s something I need to focus on,” Carter said.Carter was at his game-wrecking best in the fourth quarter when he helped throw Jeremy McNichols for an 8-yard loss, forced a fumble and recovered it.

He lateraled to Paulson Adebo who lateraled to Jevon Holland, but the replay official reviewed the runner was not down by contact ruling.“I wish I scored.I gotta watch it back,” Carter said.

“I was being tackled.I saw my teammate open, tried to pitch it to him, make a play.”Carter strip-sacked Marcus Mariota on the second drive and finished with three tackles for loss.“He was playing with his hair on fire today,” interim coach Mike Kafka said.

“So that’s one step.He’s got to keep on stacking those days.”Perhaps the light has gone on.

Perhaps he will be on time and wide awake, and there will be no reason for Kafka to sit him for one series or one quarter again.“It was his coming-out party,” Brian Burns said.“He had a good game.

I feels like he, for the most part, just a feeling, ’cause we didn’t watch the film yet, I feel like he executed his assignments.Then he came up with some big plays that we needed.

So yeah, I’m proud of him right now.”Burns, for his part, has done what he can to get Carter to grow up and wake up.“You see growth from him,” Kafka said.“He’s taken accountability for it.

He’s learned from those things.He’s in here early, staying la...