Abdul Carter's NFL debut receives mixed reviews from Giants' fans following loss

Abdul Carter suited up for New York for the first time, but was up against one of the league's most dynamic offenses led by growing superstar quarterback Jayden Daniels.

The Washington Commanders are loaded with offensive talent, meaning Carter had to be on top of his game for this occasion. Unfortunately, fans were left with many questions about the Penn State product's ability to do so after a rough showing in Week 1 despite a promising offseason camp.

On the first touchdown of the game, Carter's bull rush was easily handled by rookie tackle Josh Connerly Jr., who also met Carter in the Big Ten Championship Game between Oregon and Penn State. Connerly Jr. bought Daniels enough time to make the throw.

In the conference title game in 2024, Carter was held to only four solo tackles with no sacks or tackles for loss in a game he wasn't fully healthy for. It will undoubtedly be a matchup of two of the game's brightest rookies inside the NFC East for years to come. After their first clash in the pros, though, it's clear the advantage is in Connerly's favor.

This isn't an optimistic sight with fans being incredibly critical of the pass rusher on social media. Yet, there's reason to believe that it isn't Carter's talent holding him back.

Carter's experience at linebacker and edge was rooted in his time at Penn State.

However, in his debut NFL matchup, fans were surprised to see that Carter was used as a QB spy to help counter Daniels' scrambling ability. This could be an indicator as to why Carter didn't immediately meet expectations.

Many Giants fans were surprised by this role for Carter; it was expected for him to join the loaded edge rusher group of Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux in pressuring opposing quarterbacks.

With this not necessarily his apparent role the Giants intend deploying Carter in, it's also the time he was on the field that raised question marks. He was on the sideline for situations where his presence was thought to be crucial.

Carter's sudden special teams appearances also surprised fans.

It wasn't a terrible appearance on special teams as Carter almost got to the punter and blocked the kick. "Almost" doesn't mean much, though, but it's at least a good sign as he warms up to the pros.

His next special teams appearance made up. Carter blocked a punt in the third quarter with a questionable coaching call that paid off.

On rushing attempts, though, Carter had some bad reps that indicate that the Nittany Lions' former star needs to take extra steps to succeed at this level.

The second Washington touchdown of the game again put Carter in a spot to face criticism. He got into the backfield, but blundered in quickly analyzing the run.

It is his first game and Carter will experience growing pains, but it is clear that opposing coaches are already respecting his ability. He faced a lot of coverage sent at the rookie in his debut.

Despite early falters, Carter eventually proved fans wrong who worried about his play. He matched up against star left tackle Laremy Tunsil, winning the clash behind a strong inside move despite the holding call on Tunsil. Carter wasn't originally credited with assisting the sack, but eventually got the partial credit.

The half ended shortly after, but not before Carter saved a touchdown with a perfectly executed tackle, his career first. He then pressured Daniels into intentionally grounding the football and ended the half.

It was another very promising rep against one of the game's best, despite it not popping up in the stat sheet. This will undoubtedly be a call by the refs that gets extra attention due to its controversy; regardless, Carter did well.

It was clear to fans after these strong reps that attention on this performance should shift from Carter to defensive coordinator Shane Bowen as the edge rusher continued to show gradual improvement.

It will definitely be an exciting story to follow in New York as Carter starts to establish his dominance in the league, joining the elite group of Penn State rushers thriving in the NFL. As always, though, there are two sides to every narrative.

In his debut, Carter finished with three total tackles, 0.5 sacks, and one quarterback hit. The Giants lost 21-6 on Sunday.