10 Takeaways From Rams’ Dominant Win Over Giants on Monday Night Football

The Los Angeles Rams got a dominant win on Monday Night Football against the New York Giants, 28-6. While it may not have been perfect, it was much closer to what many expected to see from this Rams team heading into the season. Without Puka Nacua, the Rams leaned on Matthew Staford, Davante Adams, and a good performance from the defense to get the win. Here are 10 takeaways from the Rams’ win on Monday night against the Giants.

Matthew Stafford Looks Like Himself Again

Coming off of an MVP season, Matthew Stafford didn’t have the start to the season to match that. In Week 1, Stafford had one of the worst games of his career, throwing for just 155 yards. On Monday night, Stafford went 22-for-31 for 327 yards and four touchdowns. It was much closer to his level from last season.

Rams QB Matthew Stafford Passing Chart — NFL NextGen Stats

Stafford passed Philip Rivers for sixth-place on the all-time passing touchdowns list with 427. His four touchdowns also passed Dan Marino for the sixth-most games in NFL history with four or more touchdown passes. If the Rams are going to reach their goals this season, this is the Stafford that they need going forward.

Aaron Donald’s Impact Goes Beyond the Box Score

It was almost surreal watching Aaron Donald take the field on Monday Night Football against the Giants. After being out of the league for two years, not many would have thought that a return was possible, but that was exactly what happened.

“One of the things is he elicits attention,” said head coach Sean McVay. “He brings everybody up around him and I didn't think it was by coincidence that was the energy that we played with.”

Donald started the game and played 32 snaps throughout. While he may not have been dominant, he made his impact felt. Donald finished with just one pressure but added three tackles in the run game, including a big tackle for loss in the red zone. The Giants were also clearly aware of Donald as they double-teamed him on 39 percent of his pass rush snaps.

Chris Shula and Rams Defense Respond to Criticism

Throughout much of the week leading up to the game, there was a lot of criticism around defensive coordinator Chris Shula. Shula and the defense responded with a stellar performance. The defense played much tighter and Shula dialed up some creative blitzes on third down to affect the quarterback. They did a much better job stopping the run, which allowed Shula to be more aggressive with his play-calling.

“Our defense was outstanding from the very jump,” said McVay after the game. “I did feel our defense's pressure and presence all night, where you could see they never got comfortable.”

The pass rush came up big all night as they held the Giants to 3-for-14 on third down and 0-for-2 in the red zone. While it’s easy to say that it was against Jameis Winston, the defense still did its job. Winston has won 36 games as a starting quarterback. His 37.7 passer rating was his lowest in a game since 2021. They held the Giants to a 43.8 opponent completion percentage, their lowest allowed in a game since Week 1 of 2011. It may not have been Jaxson Dart at quarterback, but the Rams made Winston uncomfortable all night.

Trent McDuffie Looks Like the CB1 the Rams Needed

This was Trent McDuffie’s coming-out party as the Rams’ top cornerback. He lined up against Malik Nabers 21 times and allowed zero catches on three targets. McDuffie had his first career interception with the Rams and had a key pass breakup on a deep ball intended for Nabers.

“He's a stud,” said McVay. “He was active, did a great job being sticky in coverage. I thought even on a couple plays where the ball is down the field, you can see his heart rate never raises..He was able to be activated as a blitzer a little bit. He did a great job tonight as did our whole defense, but Trent was a stud.”

The Rams utilized McDuffie in man coverage more and he played tighter to the line of scrimmage. He didn’t allow a single reception on five targets overall. This is exactly what the Rams traded for when they acquired McDuffie this offseason and he’s given the defense the top cornerback they’ve missed since Jalen Ramsey.

Davante Adams Shows He Still Has Plenty Left

While the Rams may have been without Puka Nacua, it was no problem as Davante Adams had a vintage performance. Adams had eight receptions for 195 yards and two touchdowns. His 195 yards were 11 yards shy of his career-high. He became the fourth-oldest player in NFL history to have 195+ receiving yards and two-or-more receiving touchdowns in a single game.

“It's a testament to how he takes care of himself and how he's done that for a long time. He's an elite player,” said Stafford. “He’s a guy that can do that, we understand that. We know it. I leaned on him big time tonight and he came through for us.”

Rams WR Davante Adams Route Chart — NFL NextGen Stats

This offseason, Adams talked about how he and Stafford were benefiting from having more time together than they did last year. It took until around halfway through the season for both players to get on the same page. That duo was dialed in on Monday night and they showed up at an important time.

Rams Special Teams Remain a Major Concern

It’s hard to complain too much about a 28-6 win. However, the Rams’ special teams continue to be an issue. Ethan Evans’ first punt with 38 yards. Xavier Smith had a punt return that went for -2 yards and then mishandled the opening kick of the second half, setting the offense up at the 11-yard line. The Rams set themselves up to get points at the end of the half and Harrison Mevis missed the 43-yard field goal. Additionally, Tanner Ingle took a 15-yard penalty that set the Giants up to score.

The exclamation point of it all was the Rams passing up a 56-yard field goal and taking a delay of game penalty so they could punt. It didn’t cost the Rams on Monday night against the Giants. Hiring Bubba Ventrone was a step in the right direction. However, the Rams returned the same personnel and didn’t bring in any competition and somehow expected a different result. It’s likely too late to blow it up, but the Rams need to do something before it costs them in a big game.

Terrance Ferguson Shows Why the Rams Are So High on Him

With Puka Nacua out, the Rams needed a second option in the passing game to step up and that player was Terrance Ferguson. Ferguson had six catches for 54 yards and a touchdown. He also had a few missed opportunities where he could have had more.

“Ferg's a stud. He’s only going to keep getting better,” said McVay. “I thought he had a great catch and run on the second down. That was a big play for us. Great catch on the play action. That was a great trigger by the safety being able to drive downhill. He’s only going to get better and better.”

Rams TE Terrance Ferguson Route Chart — NFL NextGen Stats

There is room for improvement, especially at the catch point, but there’s a lot to like with Ferguson, and the upside is evident. Hopefully the Rams can find a way to keep him involved in the offense when Nacua returns.

Rams Were Dominant, but Far From Perfect

Overall, the Rams dominated the Giants from start to finish. Still, it wasn’t perfect and the Rams left some opportunities on the field. In the first half, the Rams kept the Giants in the game much longer than they should have. Following McDuffie’s interception, Stafford handed one right back. Late in the first half, Kyren Williams fumbled on the Rams’ own 11-yard line. That doesn’t even account for Mevis’ missed field goal.

“The one thing that I'll say is I love the responses of them,” said McVay. “It's not about the trust that I had. It's about, hey, let's do the next right thing. Those guys did. I love this group and that's what this game's about.”

The positive is that the Rams weathered the storm and still managed to get a dominant win. Yes, it could have been bigger, but the Rams beat a Giants’ team without their starting quarterback exactly how they should have.

Sean McVay Acknowledges Mistake With Australia Travel Plan

For much of the last two weeks, the Rams and McVay took a lot of criticism for how they handled their travel plans to Australia. While the 49ers arrived one week before the game, the Rams arrived a little more than 24 hours ahead of the game. In Week 1, the Rams came out flat and didn’t look like a team that was ready. Initially, they didn’t blame their travel plans, but it was clear the approach they chose may not have been the best move. McVay finally admitted as much after the game against the Giants.

“We have the right people,” McVay said. “Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn. Sometimes you have a dumb ass coach that makes travel plans that put you in a bad spot.”

This Looked Much More Like the Rams We Expected

Many were ready to label the Rams as frauds after their Week 1 loss to the 49ers and that may have been an overreaction. A win against the Giants without Dart doesn’t prove a lot, but that performance was much closer to what we expected to see from this Rams team this season. The Rams responded in a 'must-win' type game.

The next three games will be a big test. Over the next three weeks, the Rams will play the Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles, and Buffalo Bills. Those teams will provide a good barometer for where this Rams team stands. If the Rams can win two of those three, they’ll be in a good spot for when Myles Garrett returns to the field.

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