Rams Winners and Losers: Matthew Stafford, Davante Adams Deliver in Dominant Win

The Los Angeles Rams defeated the New York Giants in dominant fashion on Monday Night Football, winning 28-6. While it may not have been perfect, it was much more at the level that many expected to see entering the season. Here are six winners and two losers from the Rams’ win.

Winner: WR Davante Adams

While he may be 33 years old, Davante Adams might as well have been in his prime on Monday night against the Giants. Adams had eight catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns. His 195 yards were just 11 short of his career-high that he set back in 2021.

Davante Adams’ route running 😮‍💨@NYGvsLAR on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/vUMqlq5Acc
— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2026

During the offseason, Adams noted how he and Stafford were much further along than they were at this time last year. That was evident in their connection against the Giants. The duo was nearly unstoppable on Monday Night Football.

Winner: TE Terrance Ferguson

Without Puka Nacua, the Rams needed a player in the passing game to step up. That ended up being Terrance Ferguson. Ferguson may not have created the explosive plays that he’s accustomed to making, but he had a career-high six catches for 54 yards. He could have had more if not for a drop and a few other difficult catches that he couldn’t bring in.

During the offseason, Ferguson was hyped up as a player who could be a third wide receiver in the offense. There is room for improvement, but the upside is evident. Had a pass from Stafford in the fourth quarter not gone off the helmet of Tremaine Edmunds, Ferguson might still be running.

Loser: Special Teams

It’s Week 2 and we’re already talking about Rams’ special teams. For the most part, the Rams’ special teams wasn’t good on Monday. It wasn’t bad enough to cost the Rams, but it wasn’t good. Xavier Smith was a non-factor as a returner and bobbled the opening kick return of the second half. Ethan Evans had a short punt in the first half but did have a better punt later on. Additionally, Harrison Mevis missed a 43-yard field goal and instead of kicking a 56-yard field goal in the third quarter, the Rams opted to take a delay of game penalty.

Harrison Mevis misses the 43 yard field goal going into the half#RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/bDuj8mgdGx
— Carter Lowe 🦡 (@carterjlowe) September 22, 2026

For as many issues as the Rams had on special teams last year, it’s amazing that the Rams didn’t make any personnel changes. The Rams brought in a new coordinator, but they didn’t bring in any competition for Evans, Mevis, or Smith. All three had a rough game against the Giants. It seems unlikely the Rams make a change now, but they better hope it doesn’t cost them later.

Winner: Chris Shula

There was a lot of discourse about Chris Shula as a defensive coordinator throughout the week. The Rams defense didn’t play well against the 49ers and there were questions about whether Shula was the right guy to lead the defense.

Against the Giants, Shula called a much more aggressive game as the defense played tighter and he blitzed more on third downs. The defense was able to stop the run, allowing Shula to open the playbook up more. It was a great bounce-back game from the Rams’ defensive coordinator.

Winner: CB Trent McDuffie

The Rams traded for Trent McDuffie to be a shutdown cornerback and that’s exactly what he was against the Giants. McDuffie lined up against Malik Nabers 21 times and didn’t allow a single catch on three targets. Against other Giants wide receivers, he didn’t allow a reception on five targets and had four passes defended.

Trent McDuffie with his first pick as a Ram!

📺 @ESPNNFL | #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/yjOPp5GT41
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) September 22, 2026

McDuffie hauled in his first career interception with the Rams and has been exactly what the Rams traded for. Later in the game, he broke up a deep pass intended for Nabers that potentially would have been completed last year. The Rams needed a star player in their secondary and McDuffie has given them that.

Loser: RB Kyren Williams

This isn’t to say that Kyren Williams played poorly. He finished with 12 carries for 85 yards and had a receiving touchdown. However, Williams’ fumbling problems once again surfaced. Williams fumbled at the Rams’ own 11-yard line, setting up the Giants to score. The defense managed to hold the Giants to a field goal, but it was still less than ideal timing.

This has been a consistent issue for Williams throughout his career. Again, it’s one of those things that didn’t cost the Rams on Monday night, but it could later in the season in a big game. You take the good with the bad with Williams, but those are mistakes that can’t happen.

Winner: QB Matthew Stafford

After last week’s performance against the 49ers, some were ready to call Matthew Stafford washed. While he threw an interception on Monday night, Stafford was nearly flawless otherwise. Stafford went 22-for-31 for 327 yards and threw four touchdowns.

Matthew Stafford with a strike to Davante Adams for the TD 🎯@NYGvsLAR on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/zFXrkI6gkg
— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2026

Last season, when the Rams were without Nacua, Stafford found ten different receivers. On Monday night, he threw the ball to nine different players. The Rams are going to need Stafford to play at this level over the next three weeks against the Broncos, Eagles, and Bills.

Winner: DT Aaron Donald

It’s crazy to think that we’re in the year 2026 and Aaron Donald returned to football and managed to play at more than just a respectable level. Donald may have only had one pressure, but the Giants double-teamed him on 39 percent of his pass rush reps. He also had a 0.75-second get-off, which was the third-fastest for a defensive tackle this season.

Aaron Donald with the stop on 3rd & 2 💪@NYGvsLAR on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/pcR865miwx
— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2026

In the run game, Donald had three tackles, including a tackle for loss that set up a Giants field goal in the red zone. He may not have played every snap, but that wasn’t expected. Donald still played 32 snaps and certainly made his presence felt.

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