The New York Giants beat the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday Night Football, and in doing so they put the Los Angeles Rams and the NFC on notice. Why am I singling out the Rams? First, because this is a Rams’
centric site. Second, because the Rams had a 19-point lead over the Eagles in Week 3, and they lost, whereas the Giants held a double-digit lead and put their foot on the gas for the win.
The Giants closed out against Philly, the Rams didn’t
The Giants took a lead against the Eagles, lost their lead against the Eagles, retook their lead against the Eagles and ultimately ran through Philadelphia’s face to close out the game. L.A. had chance after chance to beat the Eagles in Week 3, they didn’t, they choked, and once you choke once, it’s in your toolbelt to choke again.
We know the Rams can beat teams in the AFC (3-0), but they have yet to beat a team in the NFC (0-2) and their two losses against the Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers showed a troubling inability to close out those respective contests (dare I say, they choked both games away?).
Can the Rams fix this? They can, but for now we’ll react to what we know, and what we know is the Giants can beat the Eagles in the 2025 season, we don’t know if the Rams can.
Mobile quarterbacks give an edge
When a QB can run and pass, that’s more for the defense to worry about. Matthew Stafford is balling out, yes, and he’s not by definition a mobile quarterback. Both things are true.
Can Stafford break away from the pocket to make a play? Yes, we’ve seen that this year. However, when Stafford doesn’t have protection what is more likely to happen? The play breaks down or Stafford extends the play?
On Thursday, Jaxson Dart found ways to extend plays with his legs, and he completed the passes he needed for the dub. Will Jaxson’s rushing ability save the Giants each week? Not likely, but in Week 6 it worked, and he showed a youthfulness and a usefulness at the QB position that the Rams don’t have in 2025.
The Giants have a bully at running back, the Rams have a pesky one
If you didn’t know who Cam Skattebo was going into Thursday’s game, you know him now. He plays smashmouth football, and on Thursday he channeled his inner Marshawn Lynch to run through Philly’s face. He was powerful, he was decisive and he made plays happen whether he had the blocking or not.
Skattebo was a monster on Thursday with over 100 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
For opponents, Kyren Williams is a pest, he’s quick (not fast), he decisive when the play is blocked well, but he doesn’t have the power that Skattebo showed on Thursday, and it’s uncommon when he makes something happen on his own.
Williams is good, not great, he hasn’t shown special break-away speed, he hasn’t shown the power of a true power back. Williams is steady not flashy, and that can work, but when you add in Williams’s fumbles, he’s a liability not an advantage, a problem not a solution.
Skattebo fumbled in Week 5 against the New Orleans Saints, and returned the next game with a vengeance. Williams has fumbled throughout his NFL career, and he keeps fumbling.
Are the Giants better than the Rams?
I’d still take my chances with Matthew Stafford this season over Jaxson Dart, and I still believe the Rams are the more complete team, but as we head towards Sunday and into Week 7, you can make the argument that the Giants are more dangerous than the Rams.
We’ll see how well that take holds by the end of the year, but for now the Giants did what the Rams could not, they beat the defending Super Bowl Champions, and they did it convincingly.
Give the Giants their flowers, and don’t be surprised if the talking heads become more skeptical about how far this Rams team can go in ‘25 until they start stacking wins in the NFC.
