3 Matchups That Will Decide Giants vs. Rams on Monday Night Football

John Harbaugh’s New York Giants forced their way into the NFL spotlight with a Week 1 win over the Dallas Cowboys. They’ll have plenty of eyes on them again in Week 2, when they take on the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football.

The Rams may have started the year with a loss, but the preseason Super Bowl favorites are still one of the most talented teams in football.

But don’t sell the Giants short. No one really expected much from them in their regular-season opener against Dallas, and yet Harbaugh’s plucky bunch came ready to play.

These three matchups will be crucial in Big Blue’s effort to leave Los Angeles with a 2-0 record.

Giants RG Francis Mauigoa vs. Kobie Turner/Aaron Donald

Aug 30, 2026; Woodland Hills, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald (99) shakes hands with defensive end Kobie Turner (91) at practice at the Rams Practice Facility. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After two years away from football, Donald is expected to make his return against the Giants. While any player in his situation would need a ramp-up period, Donald is one of the best and most physically dominant players in league history. If he’s even at 80% of his former self, he could be difficult to handle.

If it’s not Donald, who, if he plays, is expected to be on a snap count, then the guy who will challenge Giants rookie Francis Mauigoa will be Kobie Turner, with 43 quarterback hits and 24.0 career sacks in regular-season play.

Turner didn't get on the stat sheet in the pass-rushing department last week, but he’ll get on the board at some point. But whether it’s Turner or Donald, they’ll have to go through Mauigoa, the young offensive lineman who has so far made good on his promise to keep his quarterback upright.

The 10th overall pick in this year’s draft pitched a textbook-style shutout in pass protection last week where, per Next Gen Stats, he did not allow a single pressure, quarterback hit, or sack in 36 pass-blocking opportunities playing mostly against Cowboys defensive tackle Kenny Clark.

Giants QB Jaxson Dart vs. Rams Pass Rush

Sep 13, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) throws the ball against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart is far from being a fully seasoned NFL quarterback. Still, one thing he did extremely well in the regular-season opener (besides becoming the first quarterback in Giants franchise history to record a 70-plus completion percentage (79.3%, 23-of-29), three or more passing touchdowns, and over 50 rushing yards (54) in a game) was that he found success against the Dallas pass rush.

Per PFF, Dart was under pressure on 29.4% of his dropbacks, yet he completed 4-of-7 passes for 60 yards and no turnovers, though one of those attempts did qualify as a turnover-worthy play.

Dart’s secret? His legs.

While the still-young quarterback took two sacks for holding the ball a tick too long in both instances, he otherwise did a nice job of steering away from pressure and buying time to extend plays.

He’ll have to do that again this week against a Rams pass rush that, despite not having Myles Garrett, will have Byron Young (who got a rest day on Saturday), Jared Verse, and, if he plays, Donald, looking to nip at Dart’s heels.

Giants WR Malik Nabers vs. Rams CB Trent McDuffie

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Malik Nabers made his triumphant return from a torn ACL last week, albeit on a snap count. He finished by catching six out of nine pass targets for 69 yards, which wasn’t all that bad.

But Nabers, who opined this week that he was rusty from his long absence, believes he can be better. He’ll get that chance this week against Trent McDuffie, the Rams’ top cornerback, who has 25 career pass breakups (regular and postseason) and three interceptions.

Nabers didn’t do much in terms of running the deep ball last week, as the Giants' deep passing game didn't really come into play. Still, this week, with the receiver feeling good enough to not be on the injury report, don’t be surprised if the Giants try a deep shot or two to Nabers with McDuffie in coverage.

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