The New York Giants’ defense spent most of their Week 1 matchup with the Washington Commanders shorthanded.
Starting inside linebacker Micah McFadden went down with a lower-body injury early in the game that resulted in his being carted off the field.
The Giants will likely be without McFadden for some time
The Giants received a positive update on McFadden’s injury shortly after his exit from the game. According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, McFadden’s X-ray came back negative.
“As bad as it looked for #Giants LB Micah McFadden, sources say X-rays were negative,” Garafolo posted on X. “So clearly not as bad as it could have been.”
Although this update is positive, McFadden is still likely to miss some time due to the injury, leaving a major hole in the middle of the Giants’ defense.
Darius Muasau was poor in Week 1
The Giants relied on 2024 sixth-round pick Darius Muasau to fill in as the second starting linebacker after McFadden went down.
That plan didn’t prove to be effective, as Muasau struggled throughout the contest. He finished the game as the Giants’ lowest-graded defender, posting a 30.0 Pro Football Focus Grade.
Muasau was on the field for 38 total snaps against the Commanders. He totaled just two tackles in the game as the Giants’ run defense was thrashed up the middle throughout the game.
Entering Week 2, the Giants have a major hole in the middle of their defense now with McFadden sidelined. Muasau is not an ideal candidate to be a multi-week starter. The Giants might need to consider adding a linebacker in free agency.