Count the Giants as one of the (many) teams confounded by the NFL’s new helmet contact rule.
Rookie linebacker Lorenzo Carter, from the right side of the defense, beat his man cleanly for a sack of Lions quarterback Jake Rudock in the Giants’ 30-17 preseason victory Friday night. From the left side of the defense, veteran linebacker Mark Herzlich blew up a blitz pickup attempt by running back Theo Riddick and collapsed the pocket a split-second after Carter, diving in to make sure Rudock was down and stayed down. The sack was nullified when Herzlich was called for a 15-yard penalty for lowering the head to initiate contact.