Matthew Stafford and Davante Adams didn’t just power the Los Angeles Rams to their first win of the season Monday night. They also kept moving up the NFL record book.
In a 28-6 rout of the New York Giants at SoFi Stadium, Stafford moved past Philip Rivers for sixth place in league history in career touchdown passes, while Adams pulled within two receiving touchdowns of Larry Fitzgerald. The Rams got exactly the kind of answer they needed after opening the year with a 27-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Australia.
Stafford was sharp throughout, finishing 22 of 31 for 327 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. It was the 22nd four-touchdown game of his career. Adams was even more eye-catching, hauling in eight catches for 195 yards and two scores while drawing extra attention with Puka Nacua out because of a hip and groin injury.
Los Angeles entered the night without Nacua or Jordan Whittington, which left Adams as the clear centerpiece of the passing game. The Giants still couldn’t slow him down.
Stafford found Adams for a 31-yard touchdown with 11 seconds left in the first quarter, then hit him again on an 11-yard score in the third. That second touchdown gave Adams 119 career receiving touchdowns. Fitzgerald sits sixth all-time with 121, putting Adams in position to keep climbing if he sustains this pace.
Stafford’s four-touchdown night pushed his career total to 427. He had come into the game tied with Rivers at 425.
Kyren Williams and rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson caught Stafford’s other two touchdown passes. The Rams finished with 439 total yards even without last season’s leading receiver available, and Adams produced nearly 60 percent of Stafford’s passing yardage.
There were still a couple of loose ends. Jevon Holland intercepted Stafford and forced a Williams fumble, giving New York its only real chances. But the Giants never turned those moments into anything meaningful.
The Rams now have a short week before heading to Denver for a Sunday night meeting with the Broncos in Week 3. Nacua’s status will be one of the biggest things to watch during the week. If he returns, Stafford will have two elite targets against a Denver defense that looks much tougher than the one Los Angeles saw Monday.
Even with the turnovers, the win showed plenty about what the Rams can be. Stafford is still operating at a high level, Adams can still take over a game, and Sean McVay’s offense can adjust when a key piece is missing.
After an ugly opener, Los Angeles needed a response. Stafford and Adams delivered one that also happened to make history.
In Other News...
Brian Burns Just Became A Much Bigger Giants Money Question
Brian Burns has quickly turned into more than just one of the Giants most important pass rushers - he is now part of a bigger salary-cap puzzle that Joe Schoen has been pushing into the future. The GM has already reworked Burns deal twice to create room in the 2025 and 2026 cap years, a move that helped the club in the short term but also stacked heavier charges farther down the road.
Burns is signed through 2028, which gives New York some control, but it also leaves the Giants weighing whether an extension makes more sense than simply absorbing those rising numbers later. With Andrew Thomas and Kayvon Thibodeaux also looming as major cap considerations, the teams flexibility will be tested by a handful of core players at once, and Burns may be the clearest example of how todays relief can become tomorrows problem. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Fans Immediately Had One Big Fear After Jaxson Dart Went Down
Jaxson Darts night took an immediate turn on the Giants first offensive drive Monday at SoFi Stadium, when the rookie quarterback went down with a knee injury after taking a hit while throwing a pass. Dart limped off the field and was listed as questionable to return, a jolt the Giants could do without as they tried to settle into the game early.
Jameis Winston stepped in at quarterback after Dart exited, giving New York a veteran option under center while the bigger concern hung over the sideline. For Giants fans, the reaction was instant and obvious, since any injury to a young quarterback always raises the same uneasy question about how long the team might have to manage without him. [Read more 🡒]
Giants-Rams Betting Twist Could Change Monday Night Touchdown Picks
A late-week injury note around Puka Nacua has already started to reshape the conversation around Monday nights Giants-Rams matchup, and not just for the Rams. With the Los Angeles star trending in the wrong direction because of a groin injury, the betting board suddenly looks a little different, opening the door for other anytime touchdown options to move into view as the game gets closer.
For a Giants team that has leaned into the uncertainty of these prime-time spots, the ripple effect matters because touchdown picks often hinge on opportunity as much as talent. Isaiah Likely, Davante Adams and Jaxson Dart have all surfaced as alternative names to watch, but the matchup still calls for caution with certain players because of workload splits and defensive matchups that could limit the appeal of the more obvious choices. [Read more 🡒]