Davante Adams stars in Inglewood while quarterback Jaxson Dart and several Giants standouts leave the Monday night game battered.
By The Daily Atlantic Staff
September 22, 2026
Monday night in Inglewood belonged to Matthew Stafford and a Los Angeles Rams offense that looked nothing like the unit that stumbled through Week 1. Stafford completed 22 of 31 passes for 327 yards and four touchdowns in a 28–6 victory over the New York Giants, bouncing the Rams back to .500 and giving SoFi Stadium a statement performance on national television.
Davante Adams was the night’s clearest mismatch. With Puka Nacua unavailable, Adams hauled in eight catches for 195 yards and two scores, repeatedly winning against New York’s secondary. The connection that flickered last season looked decisive again: Stafford trusted the throw, Adams created space, and the Giants’ coverage struggled to recover once the ball was in the air. Kyren Williams and Terrance Ferguson also found the end zone as Los Angeles turned early momentum into a comfortable lead.
The statistical footnotes underscored how thoroughly Stafford owned the evening. The four-touchdown game marked the 22nd time he has thrown four or more scores in a contest, and he moved into sixth place on the NFL’s all-time touchdown pass list with 427, passing Philip Rivers. Those career markers matter to the record books; what mattered in real time was rhythm. After an uneven opener, the Rams’ passing game looked sharp, patient, and opportunistic.
For the Giants, the final score was only half the story. New York’s short-term health outlook darkened almost immediately. On the team’s first series, quarterback Jaxson Dart injured his left knee under pressure, walked gingerly to the sideline, and later headed to the locker room. Wide receiver Malik Nabers dislocated his right shoulder late in the first quarter, popped it back into place, and returned — but finished with a single catch for one yard on four targets and labored through the rest of the night. Pass rusher Brian Burns sprained a left ankle, and left tackle Andrew Thomas sustained an apparent lower-body injury in the fourth quarter.
That cascade turned a difficult road game into a potential season inflection point. Dart, still early in his development as a starter after a rookie year that already included a concussion absence, is central to New York’s identity. Nabers is the offense’s big-play threat. Burns anchors the pass rush. Thomas protects the blind side. When those four names all appear on the same injury report after one Monday night, the coaching staff’s problem is no longer schematic. It is availability.
Backup quarterback play and a stalled ground game compounded the damage. The Giants managed only 52 rushing yards at 2.5 yards per carry after running more effectively in Week 1. Without Dart’s mobility and timing, the offense never recovered its footing. Los Angeles, meanwhile, generated consistent pressure and gave Stafford clean enough pockets to attack downfield. By the second half, the contest felt less like a competitive rematch of early-season expectations and more like a reminder of how quickly NFL depth charts can reshuffle.
There is a tempering note: some injuries look worse in the moment than they prove to be on Wednesday’s medical updates. Nabers returning to the field suggested the shoulder issue might not be season-altering. Dart leaving under his own power was preferable to a cart ride. Still, Giants fans have lived through enough recent injury cycles to treat optimism carefully until imaging and practice participation provide clearer answers.
For the Rams, the win restores confidence without solving every question. Stafford’s efficiency and Adams’ dominance are encouraging, especially with Nacua sidelined. Aaron Donald’s presence on the defensive side of the conversation also reminded viewers that Los Angeles still has veteran stars capable of tilting a game. The larger test will come when opponents adjust and when the Rams face healthier, more complete rosters.
Sources: Reuters (https://www.reuters.com/sports/nfl/matthew-stafford-fires-4-touchdown-passes-rams-cruise-past-giants–flm-2026-09-22/); ESPN (https://www.espn.com.sg/nfl/story/_/id/49999155/2026-nfl-week-2-los-angeles-rams-new-york-giants-matthew-stafford-jaxson-dart); NY1/AP (https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/sports/2026/09/22/jaxson-dart–malik-nabers-among-giants-hurt-in-loss-to-rams); The Independent (https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/nfl/jaxson-dart-injury-new-york-giants-la-rams-nfl-results-b3054066.html)
