Can't win 'em all. Every NFL game – for the most part – has to have a winner and a loser.
The New York Giants were the big losers on "Monday Night Football" in Week 2. Not only did they lose the matchup to the Los Angeles Rams, they also lost quarterback Jaxson Dart to a knee injury on their first offensive drive of the night.
The Rams were obviously the big winners by the score, but no star of theirs shined brighter than veteran wide receiver Davante Adams. With youngster Puka Nacua held out of the game with a hip injury, Adams returned to No. 1 target status for quarterback Matthew Stafford. He feasted against a Giants secondary missing lead cornerbacks Deonte Banks and Paulson Adebo.
Here's a look at all of the winners and losers from the final
matchup of Week 2:
Rams vs Giants winners
Rams WR Davante Adams
Five receptions, 145 receiving yards and a touchdown... in the first half. Another three catches, 50 yards, and a touchdown in the second half. All in all, he had eight catches for 195 yards and two scores. The veteran wideout absolutely feasted against a Giants secondary decimated by injuries – New York was missing starting cornerbacks Deonte Banks and Paulson Adebo.
Nacua's hip injury made him a game-time decision and ultimately kept him out of the Week 2 matchup, so the Rams had to rely on Adams turning back the clock as he stepped into the WR1 role once again. The 13-year NFL veteran did all of that and more. His outing in the Rams' 2026 home opener was one of the best of his career: 195 yards was his fourth-most in a single game.
Giants S Jevón Holland
In a truly horrible night for most of the Giants' secondary (see above), Holland still managed to stand out as a winner. New York's sixth-year safety had takeaways on back-to-back defensive plays in the first half, slowing down the high-powered Rams offense on a night where that unit had almost everything working.
Holland picked off Stafford, the reigning NFL MVP, on the Rams' fourth possession of the game. The veteran safety snatched a deep ball intended for Adams out of the air for his second interception of the season. The very next play he was on the field, Holland got possession back for New York in the red zone by forcing a fumble from Rams running back Kyren Williams. Holland also managed to recover the fumble by diving into the bottom of the pile and muscling it away from others.
Rams' run game
The prime-time matchup was unquestionably Stafford and Adams' night, but Los Angeles' two-headed backfield of Williams and fellow running back Blake Corum also excelled. Williams finished with 85 rushing yards on 12 carries. Corum had 79 yards on 12 carries. Overall, the Rams' running backs averaged 6.8 yards per carry in Week 2.
The performance was a big step up from just last week, and for Williams especially. After tallying 41 yards and averaging fewer than four yards per carry in Australia, the Rams' lead rusher looked more like his usual self against the Giants. Corum also contributed in a big way as Los Angeles worked to run down the clock late in the second half.
Rams DT Aaron Donald
Donald hadn't played in a pro football game since Jan. 14, 2024, when the Rams lost a wild-card round playoff game to the Detroit Lions. After a massive ovation from the home crowd when he was introduced before the game, Donald made his presence felt in his first game back from retirement. He finished the game with three tackles – including a big third-down stop for a loss in the red zone – and was a consistent problem for the Giants' rebuilding offensive line.
Even when he wasn't at the center of the play, his presence alone was enough to draw more blockers and open up opportunities for his teammates up front. That was crucial for a Rams defense missing edge rusher Myles Garrett after a knee procedure landed him on injured reserve. Los Angeles still hasn't seen Donald and Garrett take the field together, but this game will have fans dreaming of what might be to come.
Rams CB Trent McDuffie
Donald was only one of the big (re-)additions to Los Angeles' defense in the offseason. Before Donald and before Garrett, the Rams' trade for this former Chiefs cornerback was a huge deal for a team in need of secondary help. McDuffie showed out in a big way against New York in Week 2 after an already solid Week 1.
McDuffie lined up mostly across from Giants lead receiver Malik Nabers and kept him in check all night long. The young wideout only saw one catch for one yard on four targets during the game. McDuffie was credited with four pass defenses by the end of the night, including a big one against Nabers: a batted deep ball that would have given the Giants their biggest play of the game. Per Next Gen Stats, McDuffie allowed zero catches on three targets in 21 coverage matchups with Nabers during the game.
San Francisco 49ers
Boy, must the Niners feel good about catching the division rival Rams in a weird situation. Time will tell if San Francisco is actually just that good, but the 49ers certainly appeared to benefit from the Rams' decision to delay their arrival in Australia until one day prior their season-opening matchup. Rams head coach Sean McVay even admitted to screwing up the travel plans after Week 2's win.
"Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn. And sometimes you have a dumba-- coach that makes travel plans that puts you in a bad spot," he said on Sept. 21.
Los Angeles put together only 290 of offense in Melbourne in Week 1 before gashing New York's defense for more than 450 yards at home in Week 2.
Even better news for San Francisco? The Australia game counted as a home game for the Rams. The 49ers will get to host the second in-division matchup in Week 14 after already winning the teams' first face-off of the season early.
Rams vs Giants losers
Giants QB Jaxson Dart
After an excellent start to his second season in Week 1, Dart didn't make it to the Giants' second possession in Week 2. New York's young starting quarterback injured his knee on his team's seventh play from scrimmage when he took hits from two Rams defenders after making a throw. The injury knocked Dart out for the rest of the night, so he finished 3 for 5 with 20 passing yards.
It is unclear how serious Dart's injury is, but he was able to walk off the field and back to the Giants' locker room under his own power. ESPN's Jordan Raanan also reported that he wanted to get back into the game in the first half, but the Giants didn't let him.
Giants QB Jameis Winston
Winston had to carry the Giants' offense for most of the night after Dart exited early with his injury. Big Blue's backup quarterback looked like the worst version of himself against a stout Rams defense. In his first appearance of 2026, Winston went 11 for 27 on pass attempts for 111 yards, zero touchdowns and a bad interception. He also took a couple of sacks.
In addition to the numbers in the box score, Winston looked totally out-of-sorts and unprepared all night. He looked like he was seeing ghosts in clean pockets and airmailed throws to open receivers on several occasions. He was not checking out of plays with the frequency Dart did in Week 1 and in a limited sample size in Week 2.
Giants WR Malik Nabers
Nabers was kept in check by McDuffie for the entirety of the Week 2 contest. After an emotional return from his 2025 knee injury in Week 1, the Giants' lead receiver caught just one pass for one yard. That came in the first quarter. Nabers was unable to haul in any of his three other targets on Monday night.
One possible explanation for Nabers' inability to see more targets or catch more passes was a minor ailment he sustained in the game. At the end of the first quarter, the third-year receiver appeared to injure his shoulder while running a route against McDuffie. ESPN cameras caught Nabers in pain on the Giants' sideline, but he eventually returned to the game. Something to monitor moving forward.
Giants' general injury luck
Injuries happen in football, but they don't always happen to concurrently affect the four most important players on a single team – let alone on a single night. Dart and Nabers were both banged up in the first quarter of the Monday night game against the Rams, with Dart's knee injury obviously more serious. But New York suffered two more injuries to key players in the fourth quarter: left tackle Andrew Thomas exited with a groin injury late, and edge rusher Brian Burns sustained an ankle injury on the Rams' final drive of the game.
Just brutal injury luck for a Giants team that was riding high after Week 1. Aside from the sting of the first loss hitting New York's 2026 record, Big Blue also has to contend with injuries to several major players going forward. Next up, the Tennessee Titans, who gave the Eagles a real scare in Week 2 and may not be the pushover some expected after a Week 1 loss.
Rams' special teams
The only unit that did not succeed for the Rams on an otherwise stellar night was special teams. In the first quarter, a short punt gave the Giants a possession that started at their own 47-yard line. At the end of the first half, kicker Harrison Mevis missed a 43-yard field goal that he only had a shot at because of a well-executed fire drill by Los Angeles' offense. On the first kick to start the second half, Rams kick returner Xavier Smith muffed the catch, bobbled his second effort and eventually forced his team to start on its own 11-yard line to begin the third quarter. Then to end that first possession of the second half, punter Ethan Evans booted the ball too far and into the Giants' end zone for a touchback.
These are small issues in a game in which Los Angeles dominated on offense and defense. They're small issues in Week 2, against a Giants team still emerging from a rebuilding era and missing its quarterback most of the game. But what happens if the Rams don't clean up these special teams issues later in the season? Special teams snafus cost Los Angeles a Week 16 game against Seattle – and ultimately, home-field advantage in the playoffs – last year. Issues like the Rams had Week 2 can't keep happening for a team with championship aspirations.
Australian Rams fans
Poor Australian Rams fans. Your team finally travels all the way to your home country and puts up a dud, only to look like the squad everyone expected them to be one week later.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rams vs Giants winners and losers led by Davante Adams, injured Jaxson Dart
