The Rams don’t get much time to dwell on a Week 1 loss. That’s the NFL, and Los Angeles now has to pivot straight to the New York Giants in Week 2, with the added pressure of needing a fast, loud response after falling 27-7 to the San Francisco 49ers.
That matchup also brings a new face into the spotlight: John Harbaugh, making his debut as Giants head coach. Harbaugh spent 18 years running the Baltimore Ravens before leaving this offseason after failing to meet expectations there, and the Giants moved quickly to bring him in. He’ll lead New York against the Rams on Monday Night Football on September 21.
For Rams fans, the Giants offer more than just a next opponent. There’s real intrigue in how Harbaugh sets this team up right away, especially after the article of his arrival framed New York as a team that could spoil the Cowboys’ hype in its opener.
The Giants are a home underdog, which gives them little to lose and plenty of room to be dangerous. And Harbaugh has already had success against Dallas, winning four of his past five games against the Cowboys.
The biggest thing to watch is whether Harbaugh leans into what he has always liked: a strong running game paired with a defense that can grind an opponent down. That means getting Cam Skattebo and Najee Harris involved early and trying to build control on the ground. It also means a heavy emphasis on defense, especially since the Giants’ run defense was not good last season.
There’s another layer for Rams fans to track, too. Odell Beckham Jr. is back in New York, and former Rams have a way of thriving against the Horns. That alone makes him a name to circle.
And if the Giants’ defense can’t handle the Cowboys’ offense, it could create a different kind of pressure on Los Angeles heading into Week 2. A shaky showing there would only put more attention on whether Matthew Stafford can bounce back.
The Rams’ upcoming stretch is packed: Giants on September 21, Broncos on September 28, Eagles on October 4, and the Bills on October 12, with the Giants game landing in the middle of a demanding early-season run. Sunday Night Football is worth watching.
In Other News...
Rams Suddenly Face A Defensive Problem They Couldn't Afford
A weekend of coaching debuts around the league underscored how quickly a first impression can swing a season, and the Rams had to watch it unfold while dealing with a loss of their own. Joe Brady stepped in and got a win for Buffalo, Jesse Minter did the same in Baltimore, Josh Allen piled up four touchdowns, and the Ravens backed their new voice with a strong defensive showing. For Los Angeles, the bigger concern was not what happened elsewhere, but how its own game unraveled and what it means when the margins get tighter.
The Rams are now trying to sort through a defensive issue they could not really afford, especially with upcoming games already demanding more stability. The concern grew sharper with Myles Garretts injury hanging over the picture, because any change to the defensive plan can ripple quickly when the schedule does not give you much room to breathe. Los Angeles has to respond fast, and the next step will tell a lot about whether this is a temporary setback or something more disruptive. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Suddenly Face A Brutal Wait For Myles Garrett
The Rams have already had to adjust their plans around Myles Garrett in training camp, where lower-leg pain limited his participation before the situation pushed him toward arthroscopic knee surgery and injured reserve. For a team trying to get its footing early, losing a player of Garretts caliber for at least four games is a real setback, especially with the regular season opening stretch offering little time to ease into the absence.
Garrett cannot return until Week 6 at the earliest, when the Rams host the Arizona Cardinals, which leaves the team waiting longer than it would like for clarity on his recovery. In the meantime, Los Angeles has to sort through how to hold up without one of its most disruptive defenders while the calendar keeps moving toward a matchup that suddenly feels a lot more important. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Nearly Took A Very Different Path To Fix Their Pass Rush
The Rams spent part of their pass-rush search on a far more familiar kind of star power than the one they eventually landed, with Los Angeles initially exploring a trade for Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby before the rest of the market shifted around them. A proposed Raiders-Ravens deal had already fallen apart over concerns about Crosbys surgically repaired knee, but the pass rusher later indicated he wanted to stay in Las Vegas and the Raiders were not inclined to move him for anything less than full value.
From the Rams standpoint, the bigger takeaway is how close they came to taking a very different route to solve the same problem. Crosby has reportedly had no trouble with the knee since and is said to be in excellent health, which only sharpens the what-if for Los Angeles before it ultimately pivoted and landed Myles Garrett instead. [Read more 🡒]