Giants' Week 2 Blowout Loss to Rams: 4 Winners, 6 Losers

The New York Giants' hype train wasn't necessarily derailed after a 28-6 road loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night, but it is certainly headed in the wrong direction.

The jubilation from a successful start to the John Harbaugh era turned to exhaustion and disappointment as fans watched a vintage Big Blue performance. Injuries to vital players, poor play in the trenches, loose coverage, and rough quarterback play. This game had all the staples of a post-Tom Coughlin Giants football game.

One rough week versus the preseason Super Bowl favorites is not the end of the world, but the injuries suffered by Jaxson Dart, Brian Burns, Andrew Thomas, and Malik Nabers could make it harder for the team to conceal its blemishes.

One can only hope that the negative effects of this brutal evening in Los Angeles do not linger. It was not all bad, though. A few notable showings deserve a mention. We have four winners and six losers coming out of Week 2.

Winners

Jevon Holland, S

Sep 21, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Blake Corum (24) runs against New York Giants safety Jevon Holland (8) during the fourth quarter at SoFi Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The veteran safety flipped the momentum firmly in the Giants' favor after snagging an interception versus the Dallas Cowboys, and he was arguably New York's lone bright spot on defense against the Rams.

Holland recorded another pick and added two forced fumbles, recovering one. A disappointing 2025 campaign raised questions about his $45.3 million contract, but the 26-year-old looks like a wise investment through the first two games of the 2026 season.

If only he had some help in La-La Land.

Dominic Zvada, K

Although Giants fans were acutely aware of Dominic Zvada's big leg during training camp and preseason play, they still wanted to see him display his power in an official game. He delivered on Monday.

The undrafted kicker out of Michigan nailed a 52-yard field goal to put the squad within two possessions of the Rams late in the third quarter. The noteworthy effort ultimately had no bearing on the outcome of this NFC matchup. But it is incredibly encouraging to see Zvada ace his first real NFL test.

A reliable kicker is something that this franchise has needed for a while, and it could make a massive difference if and when New York gets healthy.

Darnell Mooney, WR

Sep 21, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Darnell Mooney (17) runs during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dart's early exit severely hindered the offense, so it is hard to express love or displeasure for any of the skill position players. That being said, free-agent acquisition Darnell Mooney stretched the field on more than one occasion for backup quarterback Jameis Winston.

The 28-year-old wide receiver caught both targets for 33 and 15 yards, respectively, flashing the speed that has made him a viable supplemental pass-catcher throughout his NFL career.

Given the injury concerns for Nabers and the growing pains rookie Malachi Fields will inevitably endure, Mooney could operate as New York's best deep threat in the short term.

Jordan Stout, P

One of the Giants' most important offseason additions, All-Pro punter Jordan Stout did what he could to give the Rams unfavorable field position. He smashed a 79-yarder and averaged 52.5 yards per attempt, landing three inside the 20-yard line and recording one touchback.

Few people will care about punting after watching a beatdown, but Stout is another player whose impact will be louder when the team is competing to win games.

Losers

The Giants' offensive line

Big Blue's solid wall from Week 1 frequently buckled versus the Rams' defensive line. Jaxson Dart suffered a huge hit and promptly left the game after the first series, and Jameis Winston absorbed two sacks. Simply put, the Giants' offensive line showed a noticeable lack of physicality.

Andrew Thomas and Jermaine Eluemunor both graded well on Pro Football Focus, but even they competed below their usual standard. The former allowed two pressures, and the latter surrendered a sack. The issues extended well beyond the tackles, however.

The interior struggled to hold its ground, and New York's rushing game suffered. Center John Michael Schmitz is still not where he needs to be; left guard Jon Runyan Jr. committed another penalty, and rookie right guard Francis Mauigoa looked out of sorts more than once.

This unit needs to do better moving forward; otherwise, solidifying an offensive identity will be nearly impossible.

Jameis Winston, QB

Sep 21, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston (19) scrambles from Los Angeles Rams linebacker Byron Young (0) during the third quarter at SoFi Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It is always difficult to condemn a signal-caller who is thrown into the fire mid-game, especially when the O-line is scuffling, but Jameis Winston is regarded as one of the best backups in the league.

You can live with his errant throws if he is also launching the ball downfield. The former No. 1 draft pick was wildly inaccurate. He completed just 11-of-27 passes for 111 yards and one rough interception.

Winston was more than competent in his two starts last season and could have fared better against an inferior opponent, but he gave the Giants little chance of surviving Dart's absence.

Tyler Nubin, S

Sep 21, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams (17) makes a catch against New York Giants safety Tyler Nubin (27) during the second quarter at SoFi Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Tyler Nubin is running out of time to solidify a long-term starting role. After exhibiting growth in the season opener, the third-year safety floundered in Los Angeles. He was a weak spot in what was an overall worryingly vulnerable secondary.

Nubin took questionable angles and was burned by receiver Davante Adams. In all, he allowed six of nine pass targets to be completed for a whopping 123 yards, with just one pass breakup to speak of.

The Pass Rush

New York's pass rush was shockingly quiet, mustering just two quarterback hits and one sack (out of six total pressures) all evening, with the sack coming from linebacker Abdul Carter.

You know it’s really bad when the pass-rush win rate leader is a defensive lineman. D.J. Reader was the Giants’ most effective pass rusher, recording a 28.6% win rate.

And while Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford managed to get the ball out of his hands at lightning speed (2.44 seconds average time to throw), the Giants had no answers in disrupting the throwing lanes or collapsing the pocket for most of the evening.

Theo Johnson, TE

Four pass targets, zero catches. That was tight end Theo Johnson’s evening. And on at least one of those pass targets — the one that saw quarterback Jaxson Dart get sandwiched between two Rams defenders — all Johnson had to do was reel in the ball, but it bounced away when he encountered contact.

Throw in poor edge blocking and a false-start penalty, and it's hard to say it wasn’t the worst night for the Giants’ second tight end.

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