The Los Angeles Rams got exactly the kind of response they needed on Monday night.
After dropping their opener, they rolled past the New York Giants 28-6 on Monday Night Football, piling up 481 total yards while holding New York to 182. Matthew Stafford threw four touchdown passes, Davante Adams went off for 195 receiving yards, and Aaron Donald made his return to the NFL as Los Angeles moved to 1-1.
For the Giants, the night unraveled quickly. Quarterback Jaxson Dart left on the opening drive with a knee injury, Malik Nabers dealt with a shoulder injury before returning, and the offense never found a rhythm after Jameis Winston took over.
Winston’s night was rough from start to finish. He came in after Dart went down and couldn’t get the Giants moving with any consistency, completing 11 of 27 passes for 111 yards with one interception and no touchdowns.
New York managed only two field goals after the switch, and the Rams kept stretching the lead. The protection in front of him didn’t help either, and if Dart has to miss time in Week 3, this performance only raises more questions about what the offense looks like with Winston starting.
Adams was the clear difference-maker on the Rams’ side, especially with Puka Nacua inactive because of a hip injury. In the No. 1 role, he looked like the receiver Los Angeles was waiting for, catching eight passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns. Stafford found him for scores of 31 and 11 yards, and Adams’ 195 yards were the fourth-most in a single game of his career.
Matthew Stafford with a strike to Davante Adams for the TD 🎯 @NYGvsLAR on ESPN
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- NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2026
Adams also kept winning against a Giants secondary missing cornerbacks Deonte Banks and Paulson Adebo. With Nacua sidelined, the Rams needed someone to take charge, and Adams gave Stafford the dependable target he leaned on all night.
Stafford, for his part, answered a Week 1 dud with a sharp all-around performance. Against New York, he completed 22 of 31 passes for 327 yards, four touchdowns and one interception, spreading the ball to eight different receivers. His connection with Adams stood out, but he also hit Kyren Williams and Terrance Ferguson for touchdowns as the Rams kept finding ways to push the ball downfield.
Williams had a productive game as a runner, finishing with 12 carries for 85 yards and averaging 7.1 yards per attempt. He also caught a touchdown pass.
Still, his fumble gave the Giants one of their few real chances to swing momentum. Jevon Holland forced the turnover and recovered at the Rams’ 11-yard line, but New York came away with only a field goal.
It didn’t change the outcome Monday, though it’s the kind of mistake the Rams will want to clean up as the schedule gets tougher.
Donald’s return was another major moment. He hadn’t appeared in an NFL game since the Rams’ playoff loss to the Detroit Lions in January 2024, and at 35 he stepped back in and immediately mattered.
He finished with three tackles, including a tackle for loss on a third-down snap that helped keep the Giants out of the end zone, and he spent much of the night pressuring New York’s line. The Rams didn’t need a monster stat line from him; they needed his presence, and they got it.
The Giants also had more injury trouble beyond Dart. Nabers left the field with a shoulder issue before returning, and Brian Burns had a scare late when a Rams player landed on his ankle. Dart, meanwhile, had completed three of five passes for 20 yards before exiting, and NFL Network reported after the game that he is believed to have suffered an MCL sprain.
On defense, Trent McDuffie made life miserable for Nabers. He spent much of the game matched up with the Giants’ top weapon and kept him from making much of anything happen.
Nabers finished with one catch for one yard on four targets. McDuffie didn’t allow a catch on three targets when lined up directly against Nabers and also picked off his first pass as a Ram.
The trade for McDuffie was designed to strengthen the secondary, and Monday night gave a clear glimpse of why Los Angeles wanted him.
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Neal, an undrafted free agent signed in 2024, gives the Rams extra depth and special teams help, which can matter just as much in a game where the margins are expected to be tight. Even with the injured linebackers on track to play, the move reflects a practical approach from the Rams as they try to keep their defense steady for Monday night. [Read more 🡒]
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Aaron Donalds Return Puts Rams Defense Under Immediate Pressure
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The Rams are leaning on Donald to raise the ceiling of a unit that will be under pressure right away, especially with Myles Garrett on injured reserve. Even in a limited workload, Donald changes how opponents have to approach the middle of the line, and his presence gives the Rams a chance to look a lot more like the defense they expected to have. How much of an impact he can make immediately is still the key question. [Read more 🡒]