Giants Rookie Carter Benched Again for Missing Meeting

New York Giants rookie edge rusher Abdul Carter sat out the entire first quarter of Monday night's 33-15 loss to the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Massachusetts, marking the second time in three weeks he has been benched for violating team rules. The third overall pick in this year's draft missed a team meeting ahead of the game, according to team sources, prompting interim head coach Mike Kafka to enforce the disciplinary measure.

Carter's issues began two weeks earlier during a 38-20 defeat to the Green Bay Packers, when he was held out for the opening defensive series after missing a walkthrough practice at the team facility. Reports indicated he had fallen asleep, though Carter disputed that account, stating he was undergoing recovery treatment and accepting responsibility for the lapse. "My mistake was an honest mistake," Carter said at the time. "I own the fact that it was an honest mistake. I was getting treatment and I told Coach Kafka that, too. But to say I was sleeping at that time just wasn't true."

The latest infraction followed a pattern of tardiness and missed obligations that has drawn scrutiny amid the Giants' seven-game losing streak, leaving them with a...