After a shaky start in Australia, the Rams surged to a 28-6 triumph over the Giants, flashing the firepower they’ve been missing. Could this be the turning point for a Super Bowl run?
Davante Adams hauled in eight receptions for 195 yards, snagging two of Matthew Stafford’s four touchdown throws on Monday night, while Aaron Donald returned to the field after a 32‑month hiatus.
Stafford tossed for 327 yards as the Rams (1‑1) seized momentum, capitalising on the Giants’ (1‑1) loss of Jaxson Dart to a left‑knee injury on their opening drive.
The Rams were minus All‑Pros Puka Nacua and Myles Garrett, yet Stafford and Adams delivered a vintage showcase. For my money, this duo makes the Rams the league’s most dangerous offense.
Adams posted his best Rams day, his catches and yardage topping any previous effort, including an 11‑yard fade in the third quarter that pushed Stafford into sixth place all‑time with his 426th career TD pass.
Los Angeles piled up 481 yards to New York’s 182, shrugging off two turnovers in a swagger‑restoring blowout.
“This team, we got to the confidence level that we’re at because of the work we put in, and we’re not going to put any governors on what we can do here,” Adams said.
“If you’re trying to be great, be a Super Bowl‑calibre team, you’ve got to hold yourself to a high standard. We can do even a little bit better than what we did, but this is on track with what we’re capable of,” he added.
Jameis Winston completed 11 of 27 passes for 111 yards and threw an interception after Dart left the field trembling from a massive hit by Byron Young and Josaiah Stewart on the Giants’ seventh play.
Donald recorded three tackles in his comeback, earning wild cheers each time as the three‑time Defensive Player of the Year re‑entered the lineup he’d missed in Melbourne.
Adams snatched a two‑handed, high‑above‑head grab for a 31‑yard touchdown on the Rams’ second drive, then hauled in a 64‑yard reception that set up Kyren Williams’ 10‑yard TD catch.
Winston and the Giants sputtered after Dart’s exit; his end‑zone pick by Trent McDuffie came in the second quarter, and New York managed only a field goal after Jevon Holland forced and recovered a fumble at the LA 11, with Donald stopping Najee Harris on a classic third‑down stop.
Stafford sealed the game with an 8:57‑left TD pass to Terrance Ferguson.
After his first loss with the Giants, coach John Harbaugh declined to label Dart’s injury a sprained knee ligament, calling it “in the neighbourhood of it.”
“It’s tough to come in, (but Winston) executed and he operated well,” Harbaugh said. “But as a group, we just didn’t do what we needed to do to even have a chance to win. We didn’t play up to that level across the board.” Will the Giants regroup before the postseason?