The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Giants linebacker Carter looking forward to facing hometown team
FLOWERY BRANCH — Giants linebacker Lorenzo Carter is looking forward to facing the Falcons for the second time in his career.
He will try to harass quarterback Matt Ryan when the Falcons (0-2) face the Giants (0-2) on Sunday at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
“A little bit, it’s the hometown team for sure,” Carter told The Atlanta Jour- nal-constitution via phone Friday when asked if he gets hyped up to play the Falcons. “Atlanta will always be my home. It’s the hometown team, but it’s always better to go down there and play at home. When they come up here, you still get that little bit, you get that excitement playing the team you looked at growing up all the time.”
Carter played the Falcons in Atlanta as a rookie in 2018. The Falcons won 23-20 on Oct. 22 at Mercedes-benz Stadium.
“I got too many tickets, but it was all love,” Carter said.
The former Norcross High and Georgia standout was drafted in the third round (66th overall) of the 2018 draft by the Giants.
He’s trying to come back from an Achilles injury he suffered in the fifth game of the 2020 season. He was off to a good start before the injury.
“It’s good,” Carter said. “It’s always that process of trying to make sure I’m smart with it and also just wanted to be out there and go full speed. I think the trainers did a good job . ... I’m just ready to keep playing.”
Carter played 58 defensive snaps (88%) against the Bron- cos in the opener Sept. 12. He finished with four tackles.
Four nights later, he played 53 defensive snaps against Washington in that excoriating 30-29 loss Sept. 16. Carter had four tackles and a quarterback hit.
The Giants were 6-10 last season and finished in second place in the NFC East. Car- ter has studied the Falcons.
“They’ve got weapons,” Carter said. “They definitely have some dangerous weap- ons that we’ve got to make sure that we keep control of and keep contained. This is the NFL, so you know guys are going to make plays. It’s all about reducing the amount of plays that they make and taking away opportunities.”
The Giants, who are set to retire Eli Manning’s jer- sey at halftime, are 2.5-point favorites.
“We’ve been working too hard, putting in the time, putting in the extra time, film, lifting weights,” Carter said. “It’s like all right, let’s go out here and do what we know we can do and just play to our ability.”
The Giants are hoping to compete in their division under coach Joe Judge, who’s in his second season with the Giants.
“We are close,” Carter said. “It’s all about details and focusing on all of the little things because those are the things that get you beat.”
The Giants were 5-11 in 2018 and 4-12 in 2019 before coach Pat Shurmur was fired. Last season, Judge was brought in to get things turned around.
“It’s year four for me, so my first three years, NFL games are all close,” Car- ter said. “Within a touch- down, 75%. We lost some close games, winning six games last year, won a couple close ones, lost a couple close ones, but it’s all about finishing and executing all of the details at the end of the game.
“That one play that you need, we executed the whole game to have it on our sides.”
So there are no Vander- bilts in the NFL?
Carter started laughing and said, “That’s right.”