Maybe all the Los Angeles Rams needed was a good night’s sleep.
asserted
Rams → need → ?
Eleven days after stumbling off a plane and getting embarrassed by the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia, the Rams looked much more like themselves on Monday Night Football.
Matthew Stafford threw for 327 yards and four touchdowns, Davante Adams erupted without Puka Nacua and Aaron Donald made his long-awaited return as the Rams rolled past the New York Giants, 28-6, in front of 73,773 at SoFi Stadium.
This was the response Sean McVay needed after a 27-7 season-opening loss raised uncomfortable questions about an offense that looked stale and a defense that failed to record a sack on 34 pass attempts.
asserted
that → stumble → attempts
Not everything was firing on all cylinders on Monday, but at least the Rams looked awake, alert, and more energetic.
asserted
Rams → fire → Monday
Rams offense is better, but there are still bugs to fix
Four touchdowns from Stafford.
asserted
offense → be → Stafford
That’s more like the Rams offense we expected to see this season.
asserted
we → ’ → offense
But when they look back at the film on Tuesday, everything won’t be as flattering as it seems.
asserted
it → look → Tuesday
The Rams offense did all of that without All-Pro wide receiver Puka Nacua, who missed the game with a hip injury, but there were still too many self-inflicted wounds for a team with legitimate Super Bowl expectations.
asserted
who → do → expectations
Williams coughed up the football inside his own 10-yard line, essentially gift-wrapping points for the Giants.
asserted
Williams → cough → Giants
Terrance Ferguson and other Rams receivers dropped passes that hit them in the hands.
asserted
that → drop → hands
The running game took too long to get moving and the offense occasionally lacked the crispness that has become McVay’s calling card.
asserted
that → take → crispness
Against Denver, Philadelphia, or another NFC heavyweight in January, they can end a season.
asserted
they → end → season
The 38-year-old also passed Jim Everett for second place on the Rams’ career touchdown-pass list.
asserted
old → pass → list
You’re in good hands with Davante Adams
asserted
You → ’re → Adams
With Nacua unavailable, Adams didn’t simply become Stafford’s favorite target.
asserted
Adams → become → ?
He became the entire offensive aerial attack.
asserted
He → become → ?
Adams caught eight passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns, producing the kind of vintage performance that reminded everyone why the Rams brought him to Los Angeles in the first place.
asserted
Rams → catch → place
His first touchdown was particularly impressive, with Adams climbing the ladder for the football before finishing the play in the end zone.
asserted
Adams → climb → zone
It also marked his first touchdown with the Rams in which he didn’t actually catch the ball in the end zone.
asserted
he → mark → zone
More importantly, Adams proved the Rams don’t have to panic whenever Nacua isn’t available.
asserted
Nacua → prove → ?
3. Aaron Donald changed the temperature of the defense
Aaron Donald didn’t need to record three sacks or throw an offensive lineman into Jaxson Dart to make his presence felt.
asserted
presence → change → Dart
He just needed to be Aaron Donald again.
asserted
He → need → ?
The building erupted when No. 99 ran out of the tunnel during pregame introductions, two years after walking away from football.
asserted
. → erupt → football
Then Donald reminded everyone why that reception was so loud.
asserted
reception → remind → everyone
One of his biggest plays won’t dominate the highlight shows.
asserted
One → dominate → shows
Donald stuffed Najee Harris on third-and-2, helping force the Giants to settle for a field goal.
asserted
Donald → stuff → goal
That is what Donald has always done.
asserted
Donald → do → what
He wrecks plans.
asserted
He → wreck → plans
More importantly, his presence appeared to change the Rams around him.
asserted
presence → appear → him
After producing zero sacks in Australia, Los Angeles recorded two Monday, including the first career sack for undrafted rookie Wes Bailey.
asserted
Angeles → produce → Bailey
Donald finished with three tackles while playing more than 30 snaps in his return.
asserted
Donald → finish → return
The pressure up front also made life easier for a revamped secondary, where All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie recorded his first interception as a Ram.
asserted
McDuffie → make → Ram
Donald isn’t going to fix everything by himself.
asserted
Donald → go → himself
But Monday night offered the first glimpse of what this defense can look like when No. 99 is standing in the middle of it.
asserted
. → offer → it
The Aporia
