FOXBOROUGH, MA -- New York Giants first-round pick Abdul Carter didn't start or play early in Monday night's 33-15 loss to the New England Patriots, with interim coach Mike Kafka telling ESPN at halftime that it was a "coach's decision" and not injury-related.
Carter sat out two drives, both of which resulted in points for the Patriots.
He eventually entered the game for the Giants' first defensive series of the second quarter. He made a quick impact, recording his first career sack on quarterback Drake Maye to end a New England drive on that series.
Carter was 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, though Carter said he was getting treatment.
Kafka imposed last month's discipline 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 instance that Carter has lost playing time 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 have now lost seven straight and 13 consecutive games on the road dating to last season.
Carter was the third pick in this year's draft out of Penn State. He entered Monday's game with just half a sack in 12 games, despite being second on the team with 12 quarterback hits.
