FOXBOROUGH, MA — New York Giants first-round pick Abdul Carter didn't start or play early in Monday night's matchup with the New England Patriots. It was a «coach's decision» and not injury related, per ESPN's Laura Rutledge.
Carter eventually entered the game for the Giants' defensive first series of the second quarter. He sat out two drives by the Patriots' offense, both of which resulted in points.
Carter was previously benched for the opening drive of a Nov. 16 contest against the Green Bay Packers because he missed a walkthrough. The Giants thought he was asleep while Carter said he was getting treatment.
Regardless, interim head coach Mike Kafka elected to impose the discipline as a way to stress accountability. He initially described it as a «coach's decision» after the loss to the Packers.
«I made a mistake during the week that was detrimental to the team,» Carter said after that incident. «That was the consequence of it. Got to live with it.»
This is the second time that playing time has been taken away from Carter since Kafka took over for Brian Daboll, who was fired last month. Several players have told ESPN that accountability has been a problem for the team.
The Giants had lost six straight overall and 12 consecutive games on the road dating back to last season heading into Monday night's contest with the Patriots.
Carter was the third-overall pick in this year's draft out of Penn State. He has just half a sack in 12 games, despite being second on the team with 12 quarterback hits.
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