When the Giants drafted Abdul Carter with the third overall pick, the hope was that the edge rusher would make an immediate impact on defense for a team showing signs of turning the corner after a pair of disappointing seasons.
The Giants haven’t turned the corner and Carter grabbed more headlines for being being benched to start last Sunday’s loss to the Packers than anything he’s done on the field this season. Carter has 23 tackles, a half-sack, nine quarterback hits and a fumble recovery through his first 11 games.
During a Wednesday press conference, Carter said he’s “for sure” looking forward to this Sunday’s game against the Lions because it provides an opportunity to move past what happened last week and a chance to show that he’s growing as a player.
“The season’s not over yet,” Carter said, via a transcript from the team. “I feel like it’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish. So, I’m going to finish strong.”
A strong finish won’t be enough to salvage another lost season for the Giants, but it would provide reason to feel Carter is the building block that the Giants believed he would be back in April.