The Los Angeles Rams fell flat in their season opener last week in Australia, getting wiped out by the San Francisco 49ers, 27-7. Head coach Sean McVay says his team is moving on and leaving it in the past, vowing never to play Down Under again.
So, it's back to the States for McVay and his Rams, where they will host the revamped New York Giants, who had a very different experience in their opener last Sunday night. Big Blue exorcised some ghosts by topping their division rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, 28-20. It was the only their third win over Dallas in the last 19 meetings.
The Rams aren't expecting an automatic "W" against the Giants on Monday night. In fact, they know they'll have to work hard to beat John Harbaugh's bunch. The Giants' offense
was smooth and diverse, but the Rams are more wary of what the Giants' defense presents.
"I saw a defense that played with their hair on fire, played with a great energy, a great effort," McVay said on Thursday.
#Ramshouse HC Sean McVay spoke w/ me about the challenges the #BigBlue defense present, especially w/ Arvell Reese, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter in the mix
— Nick Hamilton (@NickHamilton213) September 18, 2026
“They have great players across the board. They do a great job schematically. But then you look at it, whether… pic.twitter.com/SXen9sT7kk
"You flip the tape on, you watch the Giants, they jump off the screen at you, especially on the defensive side of the ball," added quarterback Matthew Stafford.
The Giants will certainly see a different side of the Rams than they showed against San Francisco last week in Australia. Like Dallas, which has CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, they have two All-Pro wide receivers in Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.
"We didn't put together the greatest showing out there, but at the end of the day, you're a fool if you think that that's what it's going to look like every single week," Adams said.
The Giants won't. Last week, they did a fine job against Lamb and Pickens, not allowing the big play. The longest reception by a Dallas receiver went for just 17 yards. Quarterback Dak Prescott threw for only 175 yards, well below his average game against the Giants.
The Rams are seeing that in the film room this week. The Giants' defense plays like a tight unit and brings the physicality.
"It's less of specifically the secondary, not to minimize what they do, but just a solid defense all around," Adams said. "I think that's more important sometimes than having a great secondary is having guys up front that can get pressure."
The Giants didn't get any sacks in Week 1, but they applied enough pressure to force Prescott to release the ball sooner than he wanted on many plays. They hope to do the same with Stafford, who, at 38, is more stationary than ever.
Stafford wasn't sacked by the 49ers last week, but was hit eight times and had four passes defensed. Not his signature game. He passed for only 155 yards on 15-of-25 passing with no touchdowns and an interception for a rating of 61.2
The Giants have similar personnel up front to San Francisco. The Rams have to be seeing that. The oddsmakers aren't, though. The Rams are still more than touchdown favorites in this game as of Friday.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Rams' Sean McVay preparing to face 'hair on fire' New York Giants' defense
