The Rams entered 2026 looking like one of the league’s biggest swing-for-the-fence teams. That is what made the opener in Australia feel so jarring. San Francisco did not just beat Los Angeles 27–7; the 49ers controlled the parts of the game the Rams were supposed to be built to win.
It was still 10–7 at halftime, so this was not a wire-to-wire blowout from the opening kick. But once the Rams failed to cash in their limited offensive opportunities, the game tilted hard. San Francisco scored the final 24 points, and the sequence that told the story came when Los Angeles was stopped on fourth-and-goal from the 1. The 49ers answered with a 99-yard touchdown drive that pushed the score to 24–7 and effectively buried the Rams.
WEEK 1 WASN’T JUST A LOSS. IT WAS A WARNING.
Matthew Stafford never found a real rhythm. He finished with 155 passing yards and an interception, and the Rams produced only a couple of sustained drives. One ended in their lone touchdown. Another died at the goal line. For an offense with Stafford, Puka Nacua, Davante Adams and Sean McVay, seven points is not just a bad day — it is a reminder that talent on paper does not create continuity by itself.
There were pieces worth keeping. Blake Corum and Kyren Williams combined for 95 rushing yards on 21 carries, giving Los Angeles something to build from. Puka’s 41-yard catch was the biggest offensive spark of the day. But the Rams did not stay on the field long enough to control the game, and once they fell behind, the offense never found a second answer.
MYLES GARRETT’S INJURY CHANGES THE DEFENSIVE MATH.
The bigger concern moving forward is not one loss. It is what happened to Myles Garrett. The Rams placed Garrett on injured reserve after he underwent knee surgery, which guarantees he will miss at least four games: the Giants, Denver, Philadelphia and Buffalo.
That changes the entire pass-rush structure. Garrett is the player who can wreck a protection plan without help. He forces chips, slides and quicker throws. Without him, the Rams have to manufacture more of that pressure instead of assuming one edge rusher will create it by himself.
Los Angeles did not record a sack against San Francisco, and Brock Purdy still found 29 rushing yards when plays broke down. That becomes an even bigger issue Monday because Jaxson Dart is coming off a Week 1 performance in which he threw for 230 yards and three touchdowns while adding 54 yards with his legs.
This is not only about replacing sacks. Garrett’s absence affects protection rules, third-down matchups, quarterback containment and how aggressively the secondary can play behind the rush.
THE AARON DONALD FACTOR.
The timing of Aaron Donald’s expected return could not be bigger. Donald did not travel to Australia as he continued his ramp-up after coming out of retirement, but he has said the plan is to play Monday night. If he is ready, the Rams regain an interior game-wrecker at the exact moment their edge rush loses Garrett.
Donald cannot simply replace Garrett because they attack protections differently. But interior pressure can shorten the quarterback’s pocket and create cleaner opportunities for the rest of the front. Josaiah Stewart and the other edge defenders do not have to become Myles Garrett overnight if Donald can force the Giants to account for pressure from the middle.
The key is not expecting the name “Aaron Donald” to solve everything by itself. He has not played an NFL regular-season game since the 2023 season. The Rams need impact, but they also need discipline, conditioning and a complete front that plays together.
NEW YORK IS NOT COMING IN TO HELP THEM GET RIGHT.
The Giants arrive 1–0 after opening the John Harbaugh era with a 28–20 win over Dallas. Jaxson Dart looked comfortable in Year 2, completing 23 of 29 passes for 230 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. New York also ran for 165 yards and controlled the Cowboys with long, methodical drives.
That matters because the Rams just spent Week 1 struggling to get San Francisco off the field. The Giants converted nine of their first 10 third downs against Dallas before the final kneeldown. If Dart is allowed to extend plays and New York can stay ahead of the chains, the Rams could find themselves watching their offense from the sideline all over again.
Monday also creates a matchup inside the matchup: Donald’s return against a Giants offense that wants to be physical, Dart’s mobility against a defense that did not sack Purdy, and the Rams’ secondary trying to survive without safety Kamren Kinchens, who has been ruled out.
THE OFFENSE HAS TO WAKE UP.
Los Angeles cannot put the entire response on the defense. Puka Nacua is questionable after missing practice with hip/groin soreness, Jordan Whittington is doubtful, and the passing game is coming off one of its quietest games of the Stafford era. Davante Adams was held to 26 receiving yards in Week 1. That makes early rhythm even more important.
The run game may be the best way to get there. Corum and Williams were efficient enough in the opener to justify staying patient with it. If the Rams can run on early downs, Stafford gets play-action opportunities, the offense stays out of obvious passing situations and the defense gets time to breathe.
McVay does not need to chase a 40-point statement just because Week 1 went badly. He needs a functional offense: first downs, red-zone finishes, fewer empty possessions and a game plan that does not force Stafford to carry everything.
WHAT MONDAY NIGHT REALLY TELLS US.
Week 2 is too early to call anything a mathematical must-win. But this is absolutely a tone-setting game for the Rams. They are 0–1, Garrett is unavailable for at least the next four contests, and a Giants team with confidence is walking into SoFi with a chance to start 2–0.
If Los Angeles responds, Week 1 becomes a bad opening night in Australia. If the Rams look disjointed again, the questions get louder because the schedule does not wait for them to figure it out. Denver, Philadelphia and Buffalo all arrive during Garrett’s minimum absence.
The Rams still have Stafford. They still have McVay. They still have a roster built to chase February. Aaron Donald is preparing to step back onto the field. But Week 2 will tell us whether this group can turn adversity into structure — or whether Week 1 exposed something deeper than one ugly night.