The New York Giants' Week 2 preseason matchup versus the Houston Texans was a mixed bag from a performance standpoint, but the biggest concern to come out of Saturday's 28-10 road loss centers around a potentially costly injury.
Linebacker Micah McFadden suffered a hip injury after making a tackle in the first quarter and was carted off the field, via the New York Post's Ryan Dunleavy. He was initially ruled questionable to return before being downgraded to out, leaving fans with a queasy feeling in their gut.
McFadden, a 2022 fifth-round draft pick out of Indiana, is expected to carry a fairly big workload for the Giants this season. He started almost the entire 2023-24 campaign, and the plan is for him to maintain a regular role. Injuries are the ultimate disruptions, however.
Fans are anxiously waiting for a more concrete update from head coach Brian Daboll. McFadden totaled 101 combined tackles, 12 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception and five passes defensed last season. If the Giants are going to compete for a playoff spot, the defense will have to be sharp. That becomes harder to do when they immediately have to dig deeper into the depth chart.
Perhaps McFadden was just sitting out as a precaution and will be back at practice next week. Unfortunately, though, looking on the bright side is usually equivalent to having blind faith in this era of Giants football.
Can the Giants truly turn the corner in 2024-25?
Besides a surprise nine-win 2022-23 season that was highlighted by a playoff victory over the Minnesota Vikings, this franchise has been stuck in quicksand for the last half-decade. This year could be different, however, as general manager Joe Schoen has assembled a promising roster that gives cause for legitimate hope. There is a possibility that the trust he has earned is undone by another decision that he and Giants management made.
Quarterback Daniel Jones, who will make $35.5 million this year, scuffled in his first start since Week 6 of last season, throwing two interceptions (one was a pick-six) versus the Texans. The No. 6 overall selection in the 2019 NFL Draft did find his rhythm following the mistakes, but slow starts will kill the Giants once the games start counting. He must clean it up quickly.
Fortunately, his support system should be able to help him out a bit more this year. Rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers impressed, recording four receptions for 54 yards, which included an athletic catch deep in Texans territory at the end of the first half. Darius Slayton was just as impactful, pulling down all three of his targets for a team-high 59 receiving yards.
Most importantly, New York's offensive line held firm in the trenches, affording the quarterbacks a decent amount of time to operate in the pocket. There are glimpses of promise trying to fully bust out on this team. But the chronic misfortune that has been afflicting the Giants for years might also still be present.
Micah McFadden's status remains up in the air.
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