The Week 2 finale on “Monday Night Football” pits the Los Angeles Rams against the New York Giants.
The Rams were thoroughly outplayed in their opener in Australia, losing 27-7 to divisional rival San Francisco. After leading the league in yards and points last season, L.A. managed only 290 total yards and committed two turnovers versus the 49ers. The defense surrendered 5.9 yards per play and struggled to stop the run. Compounding the problems, the team placed Myles Garrett on injured reserve following knee surgery. Aaron Donald is set to return on Monday and could play roughly 30 snaps, but the roster that was billed as a “super team” has looked far from dominant — and Puka Nacua’s availability for the game is uncertain.
By contrast, the Giants’ debut under John Harbaugh was nearly flawless. New York controlled the game plan against the Cowboys, dominating time of possession and methodically grinding Dallas down. Jaxson Dart had perhaps his best game, Cam Skattebo consistently bullied defenders, Malik Nabers returned without issue and hauled in six catches, and Isaiah Likely exploited the second level for a pair of touchdowns.
So, will the Rams recover, or will the Giants improve to 2-0? Before examining matchup details, here’s how each side stacks up.
When the Giants have the ball
New York ran effectively against Dallas, rushing 37 times for 165 yards and one score, while Dart completed 23 of 29 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns. The Giants controlled the clock for nearly 37 minutes and engineered three lengthy second-half drives, finishing with an efficient offensive success rate (60.3% in Week 1, per Tru Media) behind only San Francisco. For context, the 49ers averaged 2.77 yards before contact per rush against the Rams in Australia; the Giants managed 2.16 yards before contact per carry versus Dallas.
This matchup will change somewhat with Aaron Donald back for L.A., though he likely won’t be at full strength and is expected to be limited in snaps. Still, his presence should help the Rams’ interior, creating challenges for Giants blockers Francis Mauigoa, John Michael Schmitz and Jon Runyan Jr. Run stoppers Poona Ford and Kobie Turner should also help contain New York’s ground game more than Dallas’ beleaguered front did. The Rams’ defensive communication and execution should improve, too, now that they aren’t navigating a first-time defensive coordinator on the road in his debut.
Los Angeles’ defensive second level is deeper and more talented than what Dallas showed last week, even if cornerbacks Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson and Quentin Lake didn’t have flawless arrivals. They’ll still need to limit Malik Nabers, who should see an increased snap share in his second game back from a torn ACL, plus contributions from Darnell Mooney and Malachi Fields. A key concern for the Rams is the middle of the field: Isaiah Likely could be a matchup problem against linebackers and a safety group that has been thinned by injuries — Kamren Kinchens is sidelined with a hamstring issue and Kamren Curl was limited in practice this week.
When the Rams have the ball
L.A.’s offense looked nothing like last year’s top unit in Week 1. The team ran with some success early but otherwise sputtered, finishing with 290 total yards and 5.2 yards per play versus last season’s 372.7 and 6.2. Their 49.1% success rate was only modestly above average for the week, down from a league-best 53.1% a year ago.
New York’s defense allowed the Cowboys to move fairly well in Week 1, surrendering a 55.8% offensive success rate that ranked fifth-best. Dallas averaged 1.83 EPA per drive (second in Week 1), while the Giants posted a stunning 2.82 EPA per drive — a mark far above the Rams’ 0.79 EPA per drive last season. However, the Cowboys’ impact was limited by possession time: they had just six true possessions and touched the ball only twice in the second half.
Offensively, the Rams should have better chances if Matthew Stafford gets time and, crucially, if Puka Nacua is available despite a hip issue separate from his preseason psoas problem, according to Sean McVay. New York has been hit in the secondary — Paulson Adebo was placed on IR and Deonte Banks is questionable with a calf problem — so matchups could open for Nacua, Davante Adams and multiple tight ends.
If Nacua is inactive, L.A. would be thinner at receiver: Jordan Whittington is doubtful, leaving Tutu Atwell, Konata Mumpfield and rookie CJ Daniels as depth behind Adams. That would likely force more multi–tight end packages, increasing the roles for Terrence Ferguson, Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen (questionable) and rookie Max Klare, or push the Rams to rely more on the run to wear down New York’s front and limit pass-rush opportunities.
The Cowboys hardly ran against the Giants and had little success when they tried; Javonte Williams managed only 30 yards on 12 carries. The Rams combined for 95 rushing yards in their opener (Kyren Williams and Blake Corum) with Corum showing burst when given space. The clash of run games — with the Giants not thoroughly tested on the ground last week — will be a key early battle.
Prediction
Week 1 offered two surprises: the Rams’ embarrassment in Australia and the Giants’ dominant outing over Dallas. While it’s tempting to ride the momentum from those debuts and pick New York, I’m sticking with preseason expectations and backing the Rams to bounce back. If Puka Nacua plays, expect a comfortable Rams victory; if he’s out, the game should be much tighter.
Pick (if Nacua plays): Rams 27, Giants 17
Pick (if Nacua sits): Rams 17, Giants 16
Fan Take: This matchup matters because it’s an early barometer for whether the Rams can recover from a shocking opener and whether the Giants’ new-look offense under John Harbaugh is for real. How both teams respond could set the tone for NFC playoff races and influence how other teams game-plan against them the rest of the season.
Source: www.cbssports.com
