New York Giants @ Los Angeles Rams
Final Score: Rams 28, Giants 6
Writer: Steven Pintado (@coachstevenp)
In this MNF game, there were big plays and some significant injuries. Most of the big plays came from the Rams, led by the impressive chemistry between Matthew Stafford and Davante Adams. Los Angeles was also aggressive on defense, creating consistent pressure throughout the night.
While the Rams basically dominated all three phases of the game, injuries were a major concern for the Giants. On their first drive, Jaxson Dart suffered an injury and did not return for the remainder of the game. Malik Nabers was also in and out of the lineup throughout the night. New York struggled to move the ball through the air or on the ground, resulting in a one-sided game that heavily favored the Rams.
Three Up
- Davante Adams – The veteran receiver turned back the clock, looking like vintage Adams with several big plays and two touchdowns. He was a major part of the Rams’ offensive success throughout the night.
- Matthew Stafford – The Rams quarterback bounced back in a big way, throwing for over 300 yards while carving up the Giants’ secondary. Stafford finished the game with four touchdown passes in a dominant performance.
- Terrance Ferguson – With Puka Nacua out, someone needed to step up as the No. 2 option in the Rams’ offense. The young tight end became a reliable safety blanket for Stafford and capped off his performance by finding the end zone.
Three Down
- Injuries – Injuries killed the vibes early on MNF, with Dart leaving on the first drive after suffering what looked like a significant injury. Nabers also got banged up during the game, although he was eventually able to return.
- Giants Offensive Line – The Giants’ offensive line was horrible in this game. The Rams consistently created pressure with four- and five-man rushes, causing problems for the passing game while also giving the running backs little room to work.
- Giants Play Calling – Matt Nagy’s lack of second-half adjustments was frustrating to watch. Not finding more ways to get Nabers the ball in space was questionable, especially with the offensive line struggling to protect. Using newcomer Najee Harris for multiple carries inside the 10 with Cam Skattebo on the sideline was also a questionable decision.
New York Giants
Quarterback
Jaxson Dart: 3/5, 20 Yards
Second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart didn’t see much action after suffering a knee injury early in the game, with more clarity on the severity likely to come after this was written. Dart was under pressure when he got sandwiched between two defenders, with one defender’s knee making contact with Dart’s knee while he was in the air. It was an ugly-looking injury that forced him out for the remainder of the game. Prior to the injury, Dart had made a few solid throws but never had much of a chance to get going.
Jameis Winston: 11/27, 111 Yards, INT | 2 Carries, 1 Yard
Jameis Winston was called upon after Jaxson Dart left the game with an injury, but the veteran quarterback struggled to find a rhythm. Winston did not look great taking over the offense, but the offensive line barely gave him any time to work. He was forced into quick throws and rarely had an opportunity to escape the pressure. When Winston did get passes off, his accuracy was inconsistent, with several throws missing his receivers. Most of his completions came on short dump-offs or quick routes, while he struggled to connect when pushing the ball downfield.
His interception came after a defender went unblocked, forcing Winston to throw off his back foot. The pass intended for Malik Nabers was underthrown and landed in the hands of the Rams’ secondary. If Winston has to start moving forward, hopefully this poor performance was more about coming off the bench cold and dealing with constant pressure than a sign of what is to come.
Running Back
Cam Skattebo: 12 Carries, 36 Yards | 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 19 Yards
Cam Skattebo had a night to forget with an inefficient performance on the ground. The Giants’ run blocking didn’t give him much room to work, as he was often forced to break tackles near the line of scrimmage just to gain a few yards. One concerning development was Najee Harris getting a series of carries inside the 10-yard line, opportunities we would have liked to see go to Skattebo.
Skattebo did get a few looks in the passing game on dump-offs and consistently fought for extra yardage, but Rams defenders were seemingly always in his face. It was simply a bad efficiency night for Skattebo, and hopefully the Giants can clean up an offensive line that was a mess on MNF.
Devin Singletary: 3 Carries, 9 Yards | 1 Target
Najee Harris: 4 Carries, 6 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Malik Nabers: 4 Targets, 1 Reception, 1 Yard
Wide receiver Malik Nabers had a quiet game against the Rams. He left the game in the second quarter after being injured on a contested-catch opportunity, appearing to be in pain with a shoulder injury. Nabers eventually returned, but Winston’s accuracy caused issues throughout the night. Nabers did get an end-zone look, but Winston didn’t have enough time to get him the ball, resulting in an interception. Nabers also had an opportunity on a deep ball from Winston that turned into a contested catch. It was a difficult grab, but one Nabers had a chance to make, and it had a 40-plus-yard gain written all over it. Unfortunately, he couldn’t bring it in.
Darnell Mooney: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 48 Yards
Darnell Mooney had the biggest play of the game for the Giants’ offense. In the second quarter, Mooney got free on a broken play and turned it into a 33-yard gain. Outside of that big play, he wasn’t targeted at a high rate and had limited opportunities to make an impact.
Malachi Fields: 6 Targets, 2 Receptions, 30 Yards
The rookie receiver got off to a hot start with a 14-yard catch on the opening drive, but with Winston at quarterback, he struggled to get involved after that. Winston’s accuracy hurt Fields throughout the game, with multiple off-target throws preventing the young rookie from making plays. The opportunities were there, but the two just couldn’t connect consistently.
Isaiah Likely: 10 Targets, 5 Receptions, 33 Yards
Isaiah Likely didn’t have the big game he had in Week 1, but it was clear who the target leader was in this offense. Likely finished with 10 targets, mostly working on short underneath routes as a safety blanket for his quarterback. Poor accuracy led to several passes being thrown too high or behind Likely, preventing him from making plays after the catch. While the production wasn’t there, you have to like the target volume Likely has seen through two games. He is clearly a big part of this offense, and hopefully better days are ahead.
Theo Johnson: 4 Targets
Johnson was the Giants’ most-targeted pass-catcher in the first half (4) but was virtually eliminated from the gameplan with the team switching to almost exclusively three wide receiver sets while trailing in the second half.
Los Angeles Rams
Quarterback
Matthew Stafford: 22/31, 327 Yards, 4 TD, INT | 4 Carries, -1 Yards
Matthew Stafford had a big bounce-back game after a poor Week 1 performance. A lot of credit goes to the Rams’ offensive line, which gave Stafford plenty of time in the pocket to make plays. Stafford trusted his veteran receiver, Davante Adams, and wasn’t afraid to push the ball downfield to him throughout the night. He threw three red-zone touchdowns, with the best coming on a beautiful fade into the corner of the end zone. His fourth touchdown came on a short pass over the middle that Adams finished off for the score. His interception was an overconfident play on a deep ball downfield to Adams in double coverage.
Stafford looked much more like the MVP-caliber quarterback we saw last year rather than the player who struggled in Week 1. He is back!
Running Back
Kyren Williams: 12 Carries, 85 Yards | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 12 Yards, TD
Starting running back Kyren Williams looked solid in this game. He continues to share drives with backup Blake Corum as they split carries against the Rams. He also contributed in the passing game, including finding a soft spot in the zone and taking a reception into the end zone for his first touchdown ever on MNF.
The important thing to note is that Williams continues to have a strong role in the red zone, which remains key to his fantasy value. On one late drive, Corum handled most of the work, but once the Rams got inside the 20-yard line, Williams came back onto the field. He did lose a fumble, although it came on a great punch-out by the Giants’ defense. Despite the turnover and split role, Williams continued to look like a solid low-end RB1 for fantasy.
Blake Corum: 12 Carries, 79 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 13 Yards
Backup running back Blake Corum made the most of his opportunities on MNF. He continued to get his own drives where he was consistently the main back on the field. Corum had a few solid runs, running hard and breaking tackles to pick up extra yardage. He also recorded a reception, which is something we don’t see often from him.
Unfortunately for Corum’s fantasy value, the red-zone work still belongs to Kyren Williams. However, between the 20s, Corum continues to prove he has a legitimate role in the Rams’ offense. As long as he continues getting his own drives and touches, Corum can offer some FLEX value while remaining a valuable handcuff to Williams.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Davante Adams: 10 Targets, 8 Receptions, 195 Yards, 2 TDs
Davante Adams turned back the clock in Week 2 with a massive performance, marking the third time he has produced this type of stat line. Adams consistently got open and created separation against the Giants’ secondary. He got behind the defense for a huge 64-yard reception in the second quarter. His first touchdown came on a deep slant over the middle, where he made a tough high-point catch before finishing the play to the end zone. His second score came on a beautiful fade from Matthew Stafford that Adams impressively hauled in.
Adams did whatever he wanted against the Giants, whether it was making turnaround catches, creating separation downfield or making toe-tapping grabs along the sideline. He did it all in an impressive outing and showed that there is still plenty left in the tank. With Puka Nacua out, Adams has top-three fantasy receiver upside in this Rams offense.
Terrance Ferguson: 9 Targets, 6 Receptions, 54 Yards, TD
With Puka Nacua out of this game, someone needed to step up, and that player was tight end Terrance Ferguson. The young tight end served as a safety blanket for Stafford, working mostly on quick out routes and picking up yards after the catch. His touchdown came late in the fourth quarter when he was able to sneak behind the defense and get open in the end zone.
Ferguson did have a few drops, or his stat line could have been even better. Still, this was an encouraging performance from the young tight end, as Ferguson finally looked like the pass-catching threat we’ve been waiting to see emerge in the Rams’ offense.
Colby Parkinson: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 15 Yards
Tutu Atwell: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 19 Yards
Xavier Smith: 1 Target
Davis Allen: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 7 Yards
Konata Mumpfield: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 12 Yards
Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X; @justinparadis.bsky.social on BlueSky