Mike Kafka Benches Abdul Carter For First Quarter Of Giants' Loss To Patriots: 'that Was My Decision'

When the Giants' defense took the field for the first time on Monday night against the Patriots, Abdul Carter was not there. And the rookie edge rusher remained out for the entire first two New England possessions.

The move to bench the former first-round draft pick was a "coach's decision" and not injury-related, SNY NFL Insider Connor Hughes reported. Chauncey Golston started and played in Carter's place.

Interim head coach Mike Kafka confirmed it was "his decision" to sit the rookie, but declined to give a specific reason for the benching.

"Just based on how we went during the week, that was the decision I wanted to make," he said after the 33-15 loss. "It was just my decision to not play him."

Kafka, who said he didn't regret the decision, added, "Those are tough decisions to make, but that was my decision... Obviously, I'm sure he wasn't happy about it, which I understand, but I thought that it was the best thing for the team, and it was my decision to move forward with it, and that's where we're at."

Carter, when asked about his benching after the game, told reporters, "S--t happens." Asked to elaborate, he said, "I ain't gonna get into details, like I said, s--t happens."

"I let my team down today," he said in response to a question of whether the benching was justified. "First two drives I was out, they scored 17 points, I take responsibility for that, I gotta be out there, I gotta do better."

This is the second time in three games that Kafka has sat Carter, as the edge rusher was benched for the first defensive series in the Week 11 loss to Green Bay. Carter said he found out about the benching earlier this week.

According to a report from The New York Post's Ryan Dunleavy, Carter was benched for "missing all/part of a team responsibility." When asked about the report, Kafka repeated that it was "just strictly my decision" to sit Carter. 

"It's unfortunate, but that's the kinda way we worked with it this week," he added.

When asked if he was concerned about the rookie having to be benched for a second time, Kafka said, "We have great communication, and he's one of my favorite players on the team. And that was one thing that we talked about. And it was my decision to not play him."

After the Green Bay game, Carter told reporters from his locker that he made a mistake during the week and said that he understood that his actions have consequences. From the locker room in New England, Carter was curt at first when asked if he believed the latest message had gotten through: "Yeah."

"I wouldn't say it's something different," Carter said after being asked to expand on why the message reached him this time, "it's just, I gotta be better, it's simple as that."

Veteran edge rusher Brian Burns, who said the situation "got handled" after the first benching, said Monday that he believes the message got through this time: "I think it was an honest mistake."

"At the end of the day, I'm just trying to be there for him, mentor him, help him along the way through his rookie year," Burns said. "Just trying to help him as much as I can."

Burns added: "He's human, he makes mistakes. He does have to be a pro, he does have to take accountability, which he did, for what happened. I'm just trying to help him be the best he can."

Kafka, as he did after the first benching, defended the rookie.

"And this is a kid that I, again, I back. I support this kid highly," the interim HC said. "For any young player that we have on the roster, whether it's Abdul or any rookie or young player, we're gonna make sure we take him under our wing and continue to develop these young guys. Because they're important to us, they're important to me, and Abdul is no different. 

"Just like Jaxson [Dart], just like young players like [Tyrone] Tracy, and... all these guys that are stepping up in big-time major roles, these are the guys that we're gonna continue to develop, continue to grow, continue to be pros. And the standards that we have in our program are sky high, and everyone is held to them."

On the Patriots' opening drive, after getting a good kickoff return, they drove 49 yards over 12 plays and kicked a 22-yard field goal. After getting a 94-yard punt return for a touchdown, New England's second drive began with 3:38 to play in the first quarter, and Carter remained on the New York sideline wearing a coat. The Patriots took advantage of his absence and cut through the defense for a five-play, 61-yard touchdown drive in just 2:38 for a 17-0 lead.

"It's sickening," he said about watching the team fall behind while on the bench. "Sick to my stomach."

Cater entered the game for the Giants' first defensive snap of the second quarter. On his third play, he recorded his first career solo sack, bringing down Drake Maye at the line of scrimmage to force a New England punt. Carter, who also drew a holding penalty later in the second quarter, finished the game with four tackles (two solo) and the sack.

"When he came back in the game," the coach said, "you saw the kinda impact he had and the player that this guy is."

At the time of his first benching, Kafka also said it was a coach's decision, and declined to give a reason, saying he would "keep the rest of that in-house." 

More light was shed on the situation with Hughes confirming that the Penn State product missed a team walkthrough while he was asleep at the team facility. At the time, Dan Duggan of The Athletic, who first reported that the suspension was due to missing a walkthrough, also reported that "being late to meetings has been a trend during Carter’s rookie season that former coach Brian Daboll let slide."

Carter said Monday that the benchings have nothing to do with a change implemented by Kafka after Daboll's firing, "Nah, it's not him, it's me. It's not him."