The Los Angeles Rams look to write a new chapter in their 2026 story when they take on the New York Giants on Monday night, but with another prime-time game to dissect their performances, here are three storylines to watch heading into this matchup.
What's going on with Nacua?
Puka Nacua has gone from healthy to questionable to trending in the wrong direction in a matter of days following a hip injury sustained on Thursday. We have no real idea what his health looks like, or what his effectiveness could even be if he's able to play. What we do know is that Jordan Whittington is doubtful, as well, calling into question how the Rams go about their offensive playcalling.
Davante Adams is a go, so does that mean 13 personnel all night? Or can the team rely on some forgotten
faces (Tutu Atwell?) in the receiver room?
The legend returns
Aaron Donald is set to play, officially ending his two-year retirement. The major questions are out there. How will he look? Can he be as effective as he once was? What will his snap count be? It will be up to the future Hall of Famer to answer them. In the same breath, an impressive performance could give him an even greater legacy.
The real difference is that he's injecting a team in need of juice with some homegrown energy. No Myles Garrett, questions about Nacua. Who can make people forget all that? One of the greatest, of course.
Can the Rams avoid a slow start?
In 2025, the Rams broke a three-year streak of slow starts by winning their first two games, finishing the year in the NFC Championship Game – the farthest they've gone since Super Bowl LVI. In 2022, their slow start led to the first losing season under Sean McVay. In 2023, Kyren Williams came back from injury to lead a second-half surge that landed them in the playoffs before losing in the wild-card round to Detroit.
In 2024, Nacua did the same as his pass-catching prowess, Williams' 1000-yard season, and their defensive rebirth won the NFC West, where the team would later lose to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round. In 2018 and 2021, the years in which the Rams made the Super Bowl, they began their seasons with winning streaks.
There's a correlation between the franchise running out of steam in the playoffs and slow starts. They can ill-afford an 0-2 start, especially as they play at Denver and at Philadelphia in the next two weeks before welcoming Buffalo in three weeks.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: 3 storylines heading into Rams' matchup with Giants
