Aaron Donald’s return after two years away helped spark the Los Angeles Rams in a 28-6 Monday night win over the New York Giants at SoFi Stadium, as Matthew Stafford threw four touchdown passes and Los Angeles rebounded from its Week 1 offensive struggles.
Donald recorded three tackles, one tackle for loss and one quarterback pressure while working 18 pass-rush snaps, matching the lowest such total of his career. The Rams defense limited New York to 182 yards, 11 first downs and a pair of field goals after Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart was injured on the opening drive and replaced by Jameis Winston.
What changed for the franchise
Stafford said the Rams were energized by Donald’s entrance before kickoff, praising the defensive lineman’s standing in the locker room and throughout Los Angeles.
“I was extremely fired up when he came out of the tunnel,” Stafford said. “The crowd loved seeing him, and so did we. What he means as a person and as a player, for this team, the locker room and the city, is hard to match.”
That energy carried to an offense that had struggled to find consistency against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia a week earlier. Stafford completed 22 of 31 throws for 327 yards, four touchdowns and one interception, while the Rams produced 481 total yards, 23 first downs and touchdowns on all three red-zone trips.
Los Angeles converted five of nine third downs. Its only major setbacks came on two second-quarter turnovers, including Stafford’s interception on a deep attempt.
New York generated pressure on only 15.2% of Stafford’s dropbacks, the fourth-lowest pressure rate he has faced in a Rams game since joining the club in 2021. With a clean pocket, Stafford went 20-for-27 for 302 yards, all four touchdowns and the interception.
Davante Adams drove the passing attack with eight catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns despite Puka Nacua being unavailable. The rest of the Rams’ receiving group combined for 132 yards.
Coach Sean McVay made clear that he views Adams as the club’s top wide receiver, pointing to the trust already established between Adams and Stafford after their offseason work together.
“To me, he is a No. 1 receiver,” McVay said. “He was outstanding all night. You can see the confidence he and Matthew have in one another, and that connection should keep growing.”
Stafford and Adams posted the second-highest single-game yardage total by a quarterback-receiver pairing both aged 33 or older in NFL history. Steve Young and Jerry Rice remain first after combining for 289 yards on Dec. 18, 1995.
Donald said the game’s speed was manageable in his first action since stepping away, though he expects to sharpen details after reviewing the tape.
“It did not feel as fast as I expected,” Donald said. “I need to settle down, keep my feet under me and trust what I am seeing. After being out for two years, I have to study the film, see the good and bad, then clean it up.”
The Rams played a more physical defensive game than they did in the previous week’s loss. Winston was unable to generate sustained drives after entering for Dart, and Los Angeles repeatedly forced the Giants offense off schedule.
McVay also accepted responsibility for the travel setup surrounding the Australia trip, acknowledging that the plan left his team in a difficult position before the loss to San Francisco.
“Sometimes you win and sometimes you learn,” McVay said. “And sometimes the coach makes travel decisions that put the team in a bad spot. That one is on me.”
