The Giants keep losing key pieces, but Abdul Carter is giving them something they badly need anyway: a pulse.
New York has been hammered by injuries all season. Jaxson Dart went down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 2, Brian Burns followed with a season-ending knee injury in Week 3, and just before the Week 7 matchup with the Houston Texans, Tremaine Edmunds was ruled out for the rest of the year after tearing his chest muscle.
That left the Giants without two defensive captains and stripped away a lot of the voice and experience on that side of the ball. But Carter, a second-year player, has started to fill that void.
After the Giants’ 27-21 overtime win, John Harbaugh told reporters that Carter addressed the team at halftime with the score tied 14-14. The message was simple: “empty the tank.”
For a young player who had a rocky rookie year - including two discipline issues from Brian Daboll for missing or arriving late to meetings - that kind of moment matters. Carter spent the second half of the 2025 season showing what he can be as an NFL pass rusher, and on Sunday he backed up the growing trust around him.
He didn’t get a sack against Houston, but he stayed active all game and kept getting into the backfield. NBC Sports Philadelphia's Ryan Fowler noted that Carter finished with eight pressures against the Texans.
One of them came at a huge moment, when he pressured C.J. Stroud on third-and-10 in overtime and helped force an incompletion on a three-and-out.
The defense bent at the end of regulation, allowing a game-tying touchdown on Houston’s final drive, but it had been holding up well before that. Over the previous three possessions, the Texans were forced to punt every time.
Then the Giants’ offense closed it out in overtime, with Cam Skattebo literally emptying the tank on a 42-yard run that set up Devin Singletary’s 30-yard touchdown run.
Carter wasn’t the only Giant asked to carry more. Edmunds’ loss was especially damaging because he was the middle linebacker and wore the green dot, handling the communication duties for the defense.
Micah McFadden had to step into that role and did it well. Playing every snap, he finished with 10 solo tackles, two tackles for loss, and one quarterback hit.
McFadden has flashed before during his time with the team, though injuries have interrupted his progress. On Sunday, he answered the call.
That’s been the theme for this Giants team under Harbaugh. The standard is no longer about surviving a bad break or two.
It’s about winning anyway. Burns and Edmunds would knock a lot of teams off course.
The Giants are still pushing forward, and Carter’s leadership is a big reason why.
In Other News...
Giants May Have Avoided A Brutal Cam Skattebo Situation
The Giants left Houston with an overtime win in Week 7, and one of the most important plays of the afternoon came from Cam Skattebo's 42-yard burst that helped swing the game. It also came with a scare, since Skattebo appeared to have injured his hamstring on the run, a worrying sight for a back who has quickly become part of the offense's identity.
The early read, though, is better than it looked in the moment. According to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, the injury is not considered serious, and the timing helps the Giants because they have a bye week before their next game. That gives Skattebo extra recovery time ahead of a Week 9 meeting with the Eagles, which is the kind of matchup New York would much rather face with one of its more dynamic runners available. [Read more 🡒]
Former Texan Gave Giants Fans The Perfect Upset Ending
The Giants had already done plenty to make life difficult for Houston, leaning on a rushing attack that kept the game tight and gave them a chance late on the road. Cam Skattebo led the way with 124 yards and a touchdown, helping New York keep the Texans off balance long enough for a costly matchup to turn into a true upset bid.
Devin Singletary then delivered the finish, breaking loose for the decisive score in overtime to send the Giants home with a 27-21 victory. It was a satisfying twist for New York, and an especially notable one for Singletary, who had spent the 2023 season in Houston before ending this one with the kind of outcome that leaves both sides thinking about what might have been. [Read more 🡒]
Giants May Have A Backfield Decision They Cant Ignore After Bye
Cam Skattebo went from invisible to impossible to ignore in a hurry. After having no touches in the previous game, the rookie back broke out against Houston with 17 carries for 124 yards and gave the Giants a jolt in a victory that leaned on his explosiveness and physical style.
The timing could make the post-bye conversation around New Yorks backfield even more interesting. With Devin Singletary already in the mix and Tyrone Tracy Jr. dealing with a hamstring injury, Skattebos latest showing adds another layer to a situation the Giants may no longer be able to treat as temporary. [Read more 🡒]