LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Rams defeated the New York Giants 28-6 on Monday Night Football in Los Angeles to move to 1-1, taking care of business against a New York team that lost rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart to a leg injury in the first quarter. Jameis Winston replaced Dart and struggled, throwing an interception in the end zone as Los Angeles controlled the night following a Week 1 disappointment.
Davante Adams delivered the headline performance with Puka Nacua ruled out because of injury. Adams caught eight of 10 targets for 195 yards and two touchdowns for one of his most efficient outings as a Ram. The veteran was needed to carry the passing game and did so, consistently winning on his routes to give Matthew Stafford a reliable top option.
The backfield and defense provided support. Blake Corum rushed 12 times for 79 yards and added a 14-yard reception, covering 30.25 yards of total distance on that catch-and-run per Next Gen Stats, while Kyren Williams fumbled and could lose ground to the more explosive Corum. On defense, Trent McDuffie intercepted Winston on a target for Malik Nabers in the end zone and was stingy in coverage, standing as LA's best defensive player through two weeks. Aaron Donald logged 32 snaps in his return — 14 run snaps with three tackles and one for loss, and 18 pass-rush snaps with one pressure and a 0.75-second get-off, the third-fastest among defensive tackles this season per Next Gen Stats. Cam Skattebo was held to 36 yards on 12 carries with a long of eight yards, and linebackers Omar Speights and Nate Landman rebounded after San Francisco abused the unit in Week 1.
Second-year tight end Terrance Ferguson added six catches on nine targets for 54 yards and a touchdown from Stafford, operating as the key receiving threat while Los Angeles used 13 personnel on more than half its plays. Kicker Mevis missed a field goal before halftime but made all four extra-point attempts. Los Angeles now turns to a Sunday Night Football matchup against the Denver Broncos to determine whether the rebound signals a fix or simply handling an inferior opponent without its starting quarterback.