New York Giants (1-0) @ Los Angeles Rams (0-1)
Monday, September 21, 8:15 PM ET
Even though they weren't in the most favorable situation, it's fair to say there wasn't a more surprising team (in a bad way) during Week 1 than the Los Angeles Rams.
The Rams assembled the NFL's latest version of a super-team. They traded for Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie. They brought Aaron Donald out of retirement. They were supposed to walk into the 2026 season a well-oiled machine and not lose any games.
Fortunately for the Rams' opponents, games are played on the field and not on paper. The Rams were humbled against the San Francisco 49ers, and you have to wonder how much that humbling experience will also refocus them for their Week 2 matchup on Monday night against the Jaxson Dart-led New York Giants.
The Giants were impressive in their season-opening win against the Dallas Cowboys, at least offensively. They are still a work in progress on the defensive side of the ball, but you have to figure this is the type of game that could get into another shootout. And we saw a lot of those in Week 1.
The Rams won't have Myles Garrett for this game (or any of their next four games), but they obviously still have enough talent to win without him. The issue with not having your top pass rusher for a game like this is that Jaxson Dart is fantastic getting outside the pocket and making plays with his legs. The Rams really struggled in Week 1 with Brock Purdy's ability to escape pressure and make plays as a runner.
The early line has the Rams as 7-point favorites in this game, and while that feels aggressive, we also know what this team is capable of when they're firing on all cylinders offensively. I'm going to make a very hesitant prediction that the Rams will bounce back and cover, but I'm also not going to be surprised in the slightest if the Giants make it more competitive than people think.
Prediction: Rams win 31-24
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