INGLEWOOD — Davante Adams’ inherent insistence over where the Rams’ offense was heading amplified the team-wide messaging heading into Monday night.
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The Rams didn’t want to make excuses about their Down Under disappointment in the season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Australia.
Neither did Adams. No more travel discourse. No more potential Week 1 hiccups.
“You’re a fool,” Adams said Thursday, when asked if the Rams’ first-week woes were the offense’s reality.
The New York Giants were the fools on Monday night. Adams more than backed up the messaging with his best performance since joining the Rams, eight catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-6 victory over the Giants (1-1) on Monday night at SoFi Stadium.
The 33-year-old wide receiver – leading the way after the Rams (1-1) deemed star wide receiver Puka Nacua inactive before the game with a hip injury – started the scoring with a 31-yard touchdown grab when he extended his arms above his head to snag a low-arm-angle pass from Matthew Stafford, and burst from the center of the field into the end zone with 19 seconds left in the first quarter.
Early in the second quarter, Adams put Giants safety Tyler Nubin on skates and collected a deep pass with heaps of green turf in front of him for a 64-yard gain. Three plays later, Stafford connected with running back Kyren Williams for a 10-yard touchdown pass and a 14-0 lead.
Adams wasn’t done, collecting a high fade for a 11-yard touchdown catch with 6:21 left in the third quarter to extend the Rams’ lead to three scores. His 195 receiving yards were the fourth-best total of his career (11 yards short of his career-best 206 receiving yards with the Green Bay Packers in 2021) and his best as a Ram.
Despite finally finding their rhythm on offense – the word of choice for Rams’ coaches and players alike over the past 10 days – in Stafford’s four-touchdown pass, 327-yard effort, which included tight end Terrance Ferguson being unlocked for 54 receiving yards and a touchdown, the results weren’t all pretty.
Stafford tried to feed the hot hand and instead threw his second interception of the season when double coverage stymied Adams’ attempt at catching a deep ball. Williams fumbled at the Rams’ 11-yard line. Giants safety Jevon Holland came up with the interception on Stafford’s pass, as well as the punch out and fumble recovery on Williams.
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But the Rams’ defense held, partially buoyed by Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart exiting during their first drive with a knee injury when outside linebackers Josaiah Stewart and Byron Young (one sack) sandwiched him to the ground.
The roars were clear. The noise was deafening. Aaron Donald stormed his way through the home tunnel during starting lineup introductions as the announced crowd of 73,773 rose to their feet.
He was back.
When the Giants took over at the 11-yard line late in the second quarter, Donald kept New York out of the end zone when he read a Giants play call, stuffing running back Najee Harris backward for a loss of 3 yards on a third-and-2 from the Rams’ 3-yard line.
Donald, who spent two years in retirement after a Hall of Fame-caliber career, returned Monday and played 58% of the snaps for the night. The 35-year-old tallied three tackles and a tackle for loss in his season debut.
He wasn’t the only “new” Rams player to stamp his impact on the game.
Cornerback Trent McDuffie intercepted Giants backup quarterback Jameis Winston on an underthrown pass to wide receiver Malik Nabers in the end zone. McDuffie, who also set a career-high with four passes defended, secured his first interception since joining the Rams in the blockbuster offseason trade with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Even undrafted free agent Wesley Bailey secured his first career sack, making his mark in lieu of star edge rusher Myles Garrett, who will miss at least the following three games after undergoing successful knee surgery last Monday.
The Rams’ defense held the Giants to 182 yards and Winston to just 111 passing yards (on 11-for-27 passing) as Dart never returned. The Rams rolled to 481 total yards and averaged 5.8 yards per rush with the tandem of Williams and running back Blake Corum.
Next on the docket for the Rams is a trip to Mile High Stadium, where they will face the Denver Broncos on Sunday at 5:20 p.m.
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