The New York Giants (1-0) will head out to the West Coast to face the Los Angeles Rams (0-1) at SoFi Stadium on Monday Night Football.
The Rams will honor their 1951 NFL Championship team by sporting their classic "Sol" uniforms, which feature gold over the traditional blue.
You don't just wear the uniform. You carry the legacy. pic.twitter.com/geXb1c5erH
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) September 16, 2026
Here are five storylines to follow before Monday's kickoff.
The public likes the Giants
Based on the two teams' Week 1 performances, the betting public is jumping all over the Giants in the early wagering window. The point spread opened at Rams -8.5, but has been bet down to -7 as of Thursday morning.
The action has been heavy on the Giants thus far, with 69 percent being placed on them to beat the spread. The over/under opened
at 48.5 total points and has not moved in either direction as of yet.
The Rams are angry
The Rams got waxed by the San Francisco 49ers, 27-7, last Thursday in Australia, a result they were not prepared for, nor are they satisfied with. They were the only team in the NFL not to score in double digits in Week 1.
A lot has been written and said over the past week about the Rams being in a foul mood and the Giants being in trouble.
Yeah, the old Giants in the pre-John Harbaugh days might have been in trouble. These bigger, faster, stronger, meaner, better-conditioned, and more unified Giants couldn't give a rip. They have been losing for so long; there's no chance they will let up.
"I don't think there's any chance of that," Harbaugh said of a possible letdown this Monday. "Our guys understand, they're mature guys. They understand, they understood going into the game that it was the first game of a 17-game season, no matter what the outcome is going to be and that the Rams are going to be next up regardless of what the outcome is. So, our job is to get better, keep improving, because you have to. You have to improve to have a chance to be successful next week. So, our guys understand that, and I don't expect or have any inkling; I don't believe that'll happen for one second."
Aaron Donald debut?
We won't know for sure when future Hall of Fame defensive tackle Aaron Donald will make his 2026 debut. The Rams hope it's this Monday night against the Giants.
Donald unretired this summer and has been working his way back into football shape. But he hasn't played in two years, and there's no exact science on calculating how long it will take for a 35-year-old to go from the couch to the field.
There is also no way to know how many snaps Donald can give the Rams once he does come back.
McVay versus Harbaugh
This game features two of the NFL's top head coaches matching wits. Sean McVay of the Rams has a .613 winning percentage (92-58) in the regular season. The Giants' John Harbaugh has a record of 181-113 (.615).
Harbaugh is 4-2 against the Rams in his career and 2-2 versus McVay.
McVay is 4-0 against the Giants in his career as head coach and is looking to join George Allen, Chuck Knox, Dan Quinn, and Dick Vermeil as the only coaches in NFL history to win each of their first five games against the Giants.
"Great football coach, Sean McVay," Harbaugh said. "They play fundamental football. They're very disciplined. That's really their calling card. The schemes are excellent, but more so it's the fundamental nature of the way they play that makes them who they are as a football team. And that's our challenge."
Rams open with tough schedule stretch
Is this a must-win for the Rams? McVay has led the Rams to the postseason in seven of his nine seasons at the helm, including 2024 when they got off to a 1-4 start.
Their Week 1 loss to San Francisco in Australia was ugly. The 49ers pushed them around and won the trench war with ease. The Giants have been beefing up in the trenches of late and have put the pedal to the metal when it comes to aggressiveness. They won't be a pushover for the Rams.
The Rams will see this as a game they need to win, since their schedule doesn't give them much of a break early on.
After this week, they go to Denver and Philadelphia before coming back to SoFi to host the Buffalo Bills.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants vs. Los Angeles Rams: 5 storylines to watch in Week 2
