The highest-graded pass rusher in the NFL last week didn’t have a sack.
asserted
rusher → grade → sack
In keeping with the Giants’ early-season messaging that sacks don’t tell the full story of a pass rush, Abdul Carter made his impact felt during a win against the Cardinals with three quarterback hits, earning a league-best 90.1 grade from Pro Football Focus.
asserted
impact → keep → Focus
tRY IT NOWThe most encouraging part of the Carter-created disruption was that it came against a significant uptick in double teams because the extra attention usually sent toward Brian Burns was redirected his way with Burns (torn ACL) out for the season.
asserted
Burns → try → season
“He’s been disruptive every game — run and pass,” head coach John Harbaugh said.
asserted
Harbaugh → say → ?
“He probably had his best game this last game, no question about it.
asserted
He → have → it
“If they do that [more double teams], to whom much was given much is required, right?
asserted
much → give → much
So, he’ll have to take on the responsibility of more attention.
asserted
he → have → attention
But I would guess that Abdul relishes that.
asserted
Abdul → guess → that
That’s what he wants.
asserted
he → ’ → what
I’d be willing to bet that he’ll rise to the occasion.
asserted
he → bet → occasion
”
Freed from the admitted pressure of a 12-game sack drought like he had to begin his rookie season, Carter is playing up to his potential as the former No. 3 pick, even though he only has one sack and the Giants only have three.
asserted
Giants → free → three
Since entering the league, Carter leads all NFL players with 57 quick quarterback pressures (under 2.5 seconds).
asserted
Carter → enter → seconds
The eight that he tallied against the Cardinals were tied for the fifth most by any player in a game since 2019, per NextGenStats.
asserted
he → tally → NextGenStats
“Before the game, I had seen that when Jacoby [Brissett] is not being pressured and everything is clean he is very accurate, high passer rating, high completion percentage,” Carter said.
asserted
Carter → see → rating
“When you hit those guys, all that stuff goes down.
asserted
stuff → hit → guys
You want to pressure them and hit them as much as possible.”
asserted
You → want → them
On the Green Light podcast, retired NFL brothers Chris and Kyle Long referred to Carter as a “pressure generator,” a “maniac” and “someone who [will] go anywhere, loop from anywhere, end up anywhere.”
asserted
who → retire → generator
“This dude is, case in point, sacks are overrated,” said Chris Long, who recorded 70 career sacks.
asserted
who → overrate → sacks
“He has one sack this year.
asserted
He → have → sack
He is one of the best rushers in the league when it comes to winning rushes and winning them fast.
asserted
it → come → them
He’s up and down the line just beating the dogs–t out of people.”
asserted
He → beat → people
Giants defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson heavily increased his blitz rate, and the confusion it created for the Cardinals seemed to unleash Carter.
asserted
it → increase → Carter
“Trusting the scheme,” as Carter said, is key and might be the difference again Sunday against a Commanders offensive line that has allowed the second-fewest sacks in the NFL (five) in front of a quarterback (Jayden Daniels) who is happy to scramble when overpursued.
uncertain
who → trust → quarterback
“We’re going to have a plan for that,” Carter said.
asserted
Carter → go → that
“With the injury he has [dislocated left elbow], we want him to run.
asserted
him → have → injury
We’re trying to encourage it to see how he reacts and if he’s going to play comfortably.
asserted
he → try → it
At the end of the day, it’s about rushing smart and rushing together.”
asserted
it → ’ → day
Kayvon Thibodeaux — Burns’ replacement in the lineup — is off to a slow start this season, but the versatility of rapidly improving rookie linebacker Arvell Reese could ease the pass rush burden on Carter.
uncertain
versatility → improve → Carter
“The better he plays, the more it helps me,” Carter said.
asserted
Carter → play → me
“The better I play, the more it helps him.
asserted
it → play → him
It goes hand in hand.
asserted
It → go → hand
If you play hard and take on two people, somebody else is going to have [an] opportunity.
asserted
somebody → play → opportunity
So, you take advantage of that.”
asserted
you → take → that
Burns sent Carter a text message before last game that was “much appreciated and needed.”
asserted
that → send → game
“It was just hyping me up to make sure I play hard,” Carter said.
asserted
Carter → hype → me
“Knowing that Burns came out there [to play in Week 3] while he was hurt, it makes me want to play harder just for him.”
asserted
me → know → him
One of the final acts of Carter’s up-and-down ride on the maturity roller coaster as a rookie was to say in the locker room that Giants owner John Mara “deserved more” than just a commemorative game ball after a meaningless victory while he fights cancer.
asserted
he → say → cancer
Carter had a playoff berth in mind.
asserted
Carter → have → mind
The Giants are 3-1, and his play has backed up his words.
asserted
play → back → words
“It juices us up a lot,” Carter said.
asserted
Carter → juice → us
…and 4 more, not listed.
The Aporia
