Rookie linebacker Arvell Reese was all the talk on Sunday after the New York Giants' 36-24 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, making plays all over the field. Even the great Lawrence Taylor heaped praise on him.
But Reese wasn't the only dominant Giants defender on Sunday. Last year's top pick, linebacker Abdul Carter, had quite the afternoon himself. The stat sheet, which never really tells the full story, especially in Carter's case, lists Carter with three total tackles and three QB hits. He affected the game more deeply than that, though.
According to Next Gen Stats, "Carter generated nine pressures on 37 pass rushes against the Cardinals in Week 4, the most pressures by Carter in a game in his career. Eight of Carter's nine pressures came
within 2.5 seconds, the most quick pressures recorded in a game this season, in part due to a 0.70-second pass rush get-off time (second-fastest in a game for Carter in his career)."
Without Brian Burns in the lineup against the Cardinals, Abdul Carter led the Giants with nine pressures, including eight coming in less than 2.5 seconds.
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) October 4, 2026
No other Giants pass rusher had more than two pressures on the day.#AZvsNYG | #BigBlue pic.twitter.com/Q0rNXiMXwT
Pro Football Focus took notice as well.
Highest pass rush grade in Week 4
— PFF (@PFF) October 5, 2026
Abdul Carter 90.1
Dallas Turner 89.9
Gabe Jacas 89.1
Aidan Hutchinson 87.9
Dexter Lawrence 86.7 pic.twitter.com/xRoMv2JBSs
NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger was also extolling Carter's virtues after the game.
"He beat the tackles. He beat guys inside, outside."
— GiantsTV (@GiantsTV) October 5, 2026
-Brian Baldinger on Abdul Carter
Full podcast 🎙️: https://t.co/XJL3LrZsAW
Subscribe 📲: https://t.co/BejOzoaU5q pic.twitter.com/7p6o1ezKn5
"Carter dominated the game without recording a sack," wrote The Athletic's Dan Duggan. "He tallied six pressures and three quarterback hits. Carter repeatedly forced Brissett to get rid of the ball early, recording consecutive quarterback hits to help kill a fourth-quarter drive when the Giants were clinging to a three-point lead."
On the final set of downs in the fourth quarter, with the game on the line and the Cardinals poised to win, Carter stepped up and forced quarterback Jacoby Brissett to rush his passes... on all four downs.
4 downs. 4 stops. Giants win. FIRST PLACE! pic.twitter.com/oJ1iUtIxiQ
— Bobby Skinner (@BobbySkinner_) October 4, 2026
Now, that's an impact player!
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants' Abdul Carter dominated in Week 4 despite the box score
