Abdul Carter’s brutal penalty wipes out potential game-changing Giants play

Even with a sack, four quarterback hits and a make-up play, Abdul Carter had a hand in the Giants’ loss.

Or, more precisely, a hand in the neutral zone during the Giants’ loss.

Carter was flagged for offsides on a penalty Sunday that wiped out a 96-yard interception return for a touchdown by Jevón Holland that would’ve given the Giants a lead late in the first half and wound up creating a 10-point swing during a 16-13 loss to the Vikings.

“I don’t think I jumped. They said my hand was in the neutral zone or something,” Carter said. “That one hurt.”

J.J. McCarthy’s pass off Jalen Nailor’s hands wound up in Holland’s arms with nothing but green turf ahead.

“Not until I was in the end zone,” Holland said of seeing the flag on the field.

Holland lifted his arms like plane wings as he crossed the goal line, and the rest of the defense ran down to the other end to celebrate — unaware of the yellow flag on the field.

Abdul Carter looks to sack Max Brosmer during the Giants’ win over the Vikings on Dec. 21. AP

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“I didn’t know it was me,” Carter said. “I heard it on the loudspeaker. That hurt the team right there, especially for Holland, who took it all the way back to the house. That’s on me. I have to be better.”

Carter tried to atone on the next play by rushing McCarthy right into Chauncey Golston’s arms for a sack. He later added his own sack, becoming the first Giants rookie with a sack in three straight games.

But the lost touchdown loomed large because the Vikings turned their second chance into a field goal.

“Just check with the refs sometimes,” Dexter Lawrence said about what can be done to prevent that mistake.You get in your zone, you get in your alignments, and you’re lining up off the offensive lineman, and sometimes, they are deeper than the ball, the line of scrimmage. You’ve just got to sometimes check or look down the line.”

The Giants scored a defensive touchdown later in the half when Tyler Nubin scooped and scored on a fumble created by Brian Burns.

But they needed both.