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Stafford, Adams Spark Rams’ Rebound in 28-6 Rout of Giants
Davante Adams torched New York for 195 yards and two touchdowns while Matthew Stafford threw four scores, and Aaron Donald made a celebrated return as the Rams dominated after Jaxson Dart exited with a knee injury.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Davante Adams and Matthew Stafford resurrected the Los Angeles Rams’ offense Monday night, combining for 195 receiving yards and four touchdown passes as the Rams rolled to a 28-6 victory over the New York Giants at SoFi Stadium. Los Angeles outgained New York, 481 yards to 182, and improved to 1-1 while the Giants fell to 1-1 after losing rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart on the seventh snap with a left-knee injury. Stafford finished with 327 yards passing; Adams caught eight passes for 195 yards and two scores.
Adams set the tone early with a two-handed, high-pointed 31-yard touchdown on the Rams’ second drive and ripped off a 64-yard reception on the next possession that set up Kyren Williams’ 10-yard scoring catch. Stafford’s 11-yard fade to Adams in the third quarter also gave the quarterback his 426th career touchdown pass, moving him past Philip Rivers into sixth place on the NFL’s career list. Adams’ yardage and catch totals were the best of his tenure in a Rams uniform, and Sean McVay praised the connection between his quarterback and his star receiver.
New York’s plan unraveled when Dart left the field shakily after a crushing hit from Byron Young and Josaiah Stewart; coach John Harbaugh said the injury was “in the neighborhood” of a sprained knee ligament. Jameis Winston replaced him and finished 11-of-27 for 111 yards with an end-zone interception to Trent McDuffie, watching the second half in a track suit. The Giants nearly flipped momentum before halftime when Jevon Holland forced and recovered a fumble at the Los Angeles 11, but New York managed only a field goal, and Najee Harris was stuffed on a critical third-down by Aaron Donald.
The night also provided a long-awaited curtain call for Aaron Donald, who played his first NFL game in 32 months and recorded three tackles to loud ovations at SoFi. The Rams navigated the night without injured All-Pros Puka Nacua and Myles Garrett and even overcame two turnovers to close the game when Stafford hit Terrance Ferguson for a touchdown with 8:57 remaining. Injuries continued to pile up for both teams — Giants pass rusher Brian Burns left with a left-ankle problem but declined a cart, WR Malik Nabers popped a dislocated shoulder back into place and returned and will have an X-ray Tuesday, as will Dart, and Rams RB Ronnie Rivers suffered a calf injury — as attention turns to New York hosting Tennessee and Los Angeles traveling to Denver next Sunday night.