The Los Angeles Rams are already behind the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC West race with L.A.’s Week 2 game still to be played on Monday night. Even with a win Monday, the Rams will still be looking up at the 49ers and Seahawks, but a win puts the Rams back in business with a 1-1 record.
An 0-2 record could mean the end of their season. Yes, that’s dramatic, and, yes, it could be true. I don’t make the rules. The rules are you need to win the in the NFL
and so far, the Rams haven’t. Can they put a winning game together on Monday night?
Even if the Rams lose, what fans and the team want to see is a better effort than they showed in Week 1. If L.A. comes out flat, or just plain bad again, the concern meter will rise.
Will Matthew Stafford look better? Can the Rams overcome the loss of Myles Garrett? How does Aaron Donald look? Will Puka Nacua play? If Nacua doesn’t play, how will the Rams respond? Can Chris Shula and his defense improve? How about Harrison Mevis and the special teams?
The Rams have a lot of questions. They get the chance to answer some of them (for better or worse) on Monday Night Football.
2026 NFL season, Week 2: What We Learned from Sunday’s games (nfl.com)
“Mike Macdonald’s defense smothers Cardinals. Arizona had one good drive – a 12-play, 61-yard, five-first down, TD possession – in the first half. The rest of the afternoon, Seattle’s defense dominated. The defensive line destroyed the Cards’ front, bringing waves of pressure and slamming the door on Arizona’s running game. Seattle allowed just 39 yards on 14 carries combined from Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier (2.8 yards per carry). With the run game silenced, Seattle was able to tee off on Jacoby Brissett. The Seahawks generated 18 QB pressures, per Next Gen Stats. On dropbacks under pressure, Seattle held Brissett to 4 of 11 for 9 yards, with an interception and a 7.0 passer rating. Give safety Julian Love some flowers for a gorgeous sliding INT, his second of the season. Facing a Cards team that put up nearly 400 yards in Week 1, Macdonald’s crew held Arizona to 151 yards, 3.2 yards per play, 10 first downs and 3 of 12 on third downs. Domination.“
2026 NFL season, Week 2: What We Learned from Sunday’s games (nfl.com)
“Milestone day for McCaffrey, Kittle. On a day that was all about Kyle Shanahan’s offense, it was no shock that the heartbeat of the supporting cast shined brightest. Christian McCaffrey had just 67 scrimmage yards but made the most of his touches near the goal line. His pair of rushing scores put him in elite company, as he became the third player in NFL history to record 50-plus scrimmage TDs with multiple teams, joining Hall of Famers Marshall Faulk (Rams, 85; Colts 51) and Randy Moss (Vikings, 92; Patriots, 50). But perhaps the most exciting aspect of San Francisco’s offensive frenzy was George Kittle’s return to prominence. After missing six games in 2025 with an Achilles injury and a modest Week 1 outing in Australia, the seven-time Pro Bowler led the team with 80 receiving yards and his first touchdown, a 12-yard reception on a busted coverage, since the injury. Kittle’s third catch of the day also marked his 600th career reception, the 11th tight end in league history to accomplish that feat.“
Whose house? Rams return home as Aaron Donald makes long-awaited comeback against Giants (nypost)
“The Rams surrendered 174 rushing yards, failed to record a sack on 34 pass attempts and generated just two quarterback hits. Myles Garrett finished with the same statistical line as Aaron Donald, who watched from the comforts of his couch at home in Los Angeles: zero tackles, zero sacks and zero pressures.
Now Garrett is on injured reserve following a knee procedure, leaving Donald to make his anticipated return after more than two years away from football.
The rams have 99 problems, but No. 99 will not be one, no pressure AD.“
Notable injuries, news from Sunday’s Week 2 games: Packers WR Jayden Reed (neck) carted off vs. Jets (nfl.com)
“San Francisco 49ers receiver Demarcus Robinson (ankle) was ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Dolphins. Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters after the game Robinson and DT James Thompson Jr. have high ankle sprains. Wide receiver Mike Evans (hip) did not return to the game but the injury doesn’t look serious, per Shanahan.
Seattle Seahawks running back Jadarian Price (chest) did not return to Sunday’s game against the Cardinals. HC Mike Macdonald said after the game that X-rays came back negative on Price’s injury.“
New York Giants vs. Rams: 5 things to know before Monday night’s kickoff (giantswire)
“Donald will be strapping on the pads for the first time since 2023, having retired after that season. No one knows what kind of physical or mental shape he’s in, what impact he’ll have, or how much he’ll play. He’ll be butting heads with Giants rookie guard Francis Mauigoa, which promises to be an interesting matchup.
Nacua has been nursing a groin injury and is listed as questionable. He did not practice Saturday, but his track record suggests he’ll play. At what percentage is unknown. If Puka is limited, the Rams don’t have much depth behind him, with Jordan Whittington (quad) doubtful. Of course, they still have Davante Adams in their lineup, but he only caught three of six targets in the Week 1 loss to San Francisco.“
Donald in, Garrett out: How will Rams defense look with huge addition (and subtraction)? (espn)
“Though the future Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive tackle said he knows it has been two full seasons since he walked off the field after the season-ending loss to the Detroit Lions, in a way, it feels like he never left.
“[After] being back around, I feel like I was just here last year,” Donald said. “Time flies by so fast, and I forget that I haven’t play[ed] football for two years. I feel like I’m just back to my normal self.”
Donald did not play in — or even travel to — the Rams’ season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia, as he worked to get up to speed after coming out of retirement Aug. 30.“
Giants vs. Rams: What to watch as Los Angeles looks to bounce back in ‘MNF’ (cbsports)
“The Giants did whatever they wanted against the Cowboys on “Sunday Night Football” last weekend. New York ran the ball 37 times for 165 yards and a touchdown. Jaxson Dart completed 23 of 29 passes for 230 yards and three scores. The Giants controlled the ball for 36 minutes and 40 seconds of the 60-minute game. They had three second-half drives; they scored a touchdown on each of the first two and ran the clock out on the third. All three drives lasted 12-plus plays. It was surgical stuff.“
Sean McVay and Rams are being tested early, but it’s far too soon to write them off (nytimes)
“The numbers speak to the depths of that performance, but also to the standard that made the Rams Super Bowl favorites even before their blockbuster trade for two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett or the return of three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald from retirement.
Unlike some infamous preseason “dream teams,” these Rams weren’t microwaved through transactions in a single offseason. This team fell just short of a trip to the Super Bowl and returned every starter except the two it replaced with Garrett and All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie.“
Criticism of Chris Shula Is Missing the Bigger Picture With Rams Defense (si.com)
“However, that doesn’t make the defense blameless. The Rams trailed by three points at halftime before the 49ers scored a touchdown to start the half and then allowed a 99-yard touchdown drive following a missed fourth-down conversion from the offense.
Put together, it simply wasn’t good complementary football. The defense was certainly put in a bad position with a long kick return to start the second half. Despite the offense not scoring from the one-yard line, the defense needs to find a way to get a stop. It wasn’t just one unit that deserved blame, but all three phases.
That doesn’t mean that multiple things can’t be true. Yes, more is expected from the offensive side of the ball. At the same time, there are places where the defense can be better.“
How to Watch Giants vs. Rams: TV Channel, Live Stream, Time (foxsports)
“New York’s opener was sharp. Jaxson Dart completed 23 of 29 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, added 11 carries for 54 yards, and Isaiah Likely caught all eight of his targets for 78 yards and two scores.
Los Angeles never got going in Australia. Matthew Stafford finished 15 of 25 for 155 yards with no touchdowns and one interception, while Puka Nacua still led the Rams with five catches for 74 yards.
The Rams are 7-point favorites over the Giants, with a total of 48.5 and a moneyline of -356 for the Rams and +283 for the Giants. Keep reading for everything you need to tune in.“
Comment of the Day:
“Giants fan. This game could be anything. High/low scoring, blow out/decided by a FG.
I expect the Giants to move the ball well and my only real concern is our secondary.
I think most Giants fans are looking at this game as a free swing at a SB contender.“ -Haggis64
