Abdul Carter finally had his breakout performance in Week 15. New York Giants fans had been waiting all season long for Carter to deliver a game like the one he did last Sunday.
However, a deeper dive into Carter’s season statistics demonstrates that the Penn State rookie has been quietly playing at an elite level all season long.
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Abdul Carter’s Week 15 performance was a statement
Carter played like a man on a mission in Week 15. He finished the game with seven total tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, and two forced fumbles.
He was the first rookie since 1999 to record 7+ tackles, 3+ TFL, 1+ sack, 2+ forced fumbles, and 1+ fumble recovery in a game (h/t @WBG84 on X).
This was a much-needed breakout game from Carter after he had come under fire in recent weeks. Interim head coach Mike Kafka had benched Carter twice for being late to meetings in the previous three weeks as a demonstration of discipline.
Brian Burns called Week 15 Carter’s “coming out party,” and while it certainly was statistically, it was not the first big game the rookie turned in this season.
The Giants have enjoyed quality play from Carter all season long
Carter currently ranks 9th in pass rush win rate among all edge rushers (18%).
According to Pro Football Focus, no rookie pass rusher matches Carter in PFF pass-rush grade (80.4), pressures (48), or win rate (13.8%), and he was the league’s second-highest-graded pass rusher overall in Week 15. PFF named him the best rookie pass rusher in the NFL through 16 weeks.
“Carter has been in a tier of his own this season when it comes to rookie pass rushers,” PFF’s Ryan Smith wrote.
Carter has totaled 48 pressures this season, to go along with 2.5 sacks, 34 hurries, and 11 quarterback hits.
He didn’t stuff the stat sheet all season long like Giants fans had hoped, but, then again, few rookies ever do.
On a down-to-down basis, Carter has been disruptive throughout the course of the season. It has not been the season the Giants dreamed of for him or for the team, but the rookie first-rounder is aiding in giving Big Blue a brighter future.
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