In a 1979 divisional playoff game against the San Diego Chargers, Carpenter filled in for an injured Campbell, leading the team in rushing with 67 yards while also catching four passes for 23 yards in a 17–14 upset victory, despite being barely recovered from a knee injury himself and was still in crutches, reportedly did not take a painkiller in order to "feel the pain.
[4] He went on to have the best season of his career, rushing for a career high 822 yards, including four 100-yard games, before going on to lead the Giants to their first playoff victory in decades, carrying the ball 33 times for a franchise postseason record 161 yards while also catching four passes for 32 in a 27–21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
[5] Carpenter went on to rush for 61 yards and catch 3 passes for 18 in New York's loss to San Francisco in the following week.
[6] In his final years on the Giants, Carpenter served as a mentor to fullback John Tuggle, who was the last pick of the 1983 NFL draft.
Tuggle was diagnosed with cancer in the offseason and never played again, dying on August 30, 1986, just prior to the opening of the Giants season.