Rams defeat depleted Giants 28-6 on 'Monday Night Football'

INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- The Rams' offense struggled to get into a rhythm during the season opener, but over the week that followed, Los Angeles wide receiver Davante Adams cautioned against overreacting to that small sample size.

"Everybody's freaking out, which I understand," Adams said last week. "We didn't put together the greatest showing out there. But you're a fool if you think that that's what it's going to look like every single week."

On Monday night against the New York Giants, quarterback Matthew Stafford and Adams showed off the connection that flashed midway through last season, the wideout's first with the Rams. Adams logged eight catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns during a 28-6 win in which L.A. was without wide receiver Puka Nacua.

Adams' performance sparked a return to the offense the Rams were expecting going into the season. It was Adams' 29th career game with multiple receiving touchdowns, tied for fourth most in NFL history.

Adams' 195 yards were the most receiving yards by any player in a game so far this season, and without Nacua, second-year tight end Terrance Ferguson was the Rams' second-leading receiver. Ferguson tallied six catches for 54 yards and a touchdown.

Here are the most important things to know for both teams:

Los Angeles Rams (1-1)

What to make of the QB performance: Stafford, who had a passer rating of 61.2 in the Game 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, registered a passer rating of 131.3 on Monday night by completing 22 of 31 passes for 327 yards and four touchdowns with one interception. Stafford had success throwing 10 or more yards downfield, something he struggled with against the Niners. After going 3-for-10 for 74 yards with one interception on those passes in the opener, Stafford went 9-for-13 for 219 yards and two touchdowns with one pick in Week 2.

Trend to watch: What will Aaron Donald's workload look like going forward? On Monday night, he played 32 defensive snaps (58.2%). He was credited with three tackles, one run stuff and no quarterback pressures. It was the defensive tackle's first game in 981 days, as he initially retired following the 2023 season.

Stat to know: Adams' first-quarter touchdown was his first with the Rams that came on a pass not thrown into the end zone, according to ESPN Research. Each of Adams' 15 receiving scores last season (14 in the regular season, one in the playoffs) was thrown into the end zone. -- Sarah Barshop

Next game: Sunday at Denver Broncos, 8:20 p.m. ET

New York Giants (1-1)

The Giants might have dodged disaster with injuries to star quarterback Jaxson Dart and wide receiver Malik Nabers. They still couldn't avoid a reality check in the 22-point defeat at Sofi Stadium.

Their secondary couldn't hold up against Davante Adams (eight catches on 10 targets for 195 yards and a pair of TDs), and their offense didn't look the same without Dart.

Dart left after taking a hit to his left knee on the opening drive. While he didn't return to the game, he did appear on the sidelines in street clothes. Dart wanted to get back into the game but the Giants thought better of it, according to sources.

Nabers also had an injury scare in the first half when he hurt his shoulder. He later returned, but the Giants managed just 182 yards of offense once backup Jameis Winston entered, and they didn't look anything like the team that dismantled the Cowboys' defense in Week 1.

What to make of the QB performance: Winston looked shaky. He struggled with his accuracy and threw a bad interception in the red zone. It didn't help that the Rams' pressure was relentless. In the first half alone, Los Angeles had 10 pressures in 18 dropbacks. Winston finished with 111 passing yards.

To make matters worse, left tackle Andrew Thomas and outside linebacker Brian Burns were banged up in the fourth quarter of the blowout loss.

Most surprising performance: The Giants rushed for 165 yards and 4.5 yards per carry against the Cowboys. They were banking on their physical style to do the same against a Rams defense that was run over by the 49ers in the opener. It didn't turn out that way: New York rushed for just 52 yards and 2.5 yards per carry versus L.A.

Stat to know: Seven catches on 10 targets for 143 yards and a touchdown against Tyler Nubin, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. It was a rough game in coverage as the nearest defender for the third-year Giants safety. -- Jordan Raanan

Next game: Sunday vs. Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m. ET