The Rams moved to 1-1 after a heavy Week 1 defeat in Australia, while the Giants also sit 1-1 following the loss of starting quarterback Jaxson Dart to a left knee injury on New York’s first offensive series.
Dart was hit hard by Byron Young and Josaiah Stewart on the Giants’ seventh play and left the field unsteadily. He watched the second half in a tracksuit. Coach John Harbaugh later said the injury was “in the neighbourhood” of a sprained MCL.
Jameis Winston replaced Dart and completed 11 of 27 passes for 111 yards with one interception. New York managed only 182 yards of offence compared with Los Angeles’s 481.
Stafford finished 22 of 31 for 327 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. Adams produced a vintage display with eight catches for 195 yards and two scores, filling the void left by injured All-Pro Puka Nacua.
The Rams scored in every quarter. Stafford found Adams for a 31-yard touchdown late in the first quarter, then hit Kyren Williams from 10 yards early in the second. Adams added an 11-yard score in the third quarter before Terrance Ferguson caught a 5-yard touchdown in the fourth.
The Giants’ only points came from two field goals by Dominic Zvada, from 24 and 52 yards. Malik Nabers returned from a shoulder injury but was limited to a single one-yard catch.
Aaron Donald made his return to the NFL after coming out of retirement and featured in a Rams defence that also welcomed back other key pieces. Williams rushed for 85 yards on 12 carries, while Blake Corum added 79 yards.
Giants safety Jevon Holland was one of the few bright spots for New York, recording an interception, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
The Rams rebounded competently from last week’s 27-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. For the Giants, the night was defined by Dart’s early exit and an offence that never recovered in front of 73,773 at SoFi Stadium.