Giants sputter on both offense and defense after Jaxson Dart's early knee injury in loss to Rams

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Jaxson Dart injured his left knee after just seven plays, the Giants' offense struggled to move the ball in his absence and the defense had no answers for Matthew Stafford and Davante Adams in a 28-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night.

Dart was hurt while being pressured on third-and-8. Rams linebacker Byron Young hit the second-year quarterback from the right side, sending him into linebacker Josaiah Stewart, who undercut Dart's legs, resulting in a hard fall onto the turf.

Dart, who completed three of five passes for 20 yards on the drive prior to the injury, limped off the field on his own power and later walked to the locker room without aid from a cart. The Giants ruled him questionable to return shortly after he left, then officially ruled him out after halftime. However, Giants general manager Joe Schoen told ESPN sideline reporter Laura Rutledge that Dart "is going to be OK."

Dart, who threw for three touchdowns in a 28-20 win over the Cowboys last week, watched the second half in a track suit.

Jameis Winston and the Giants' offense couldn't get much going after Dart's exit, managing just 182 yards of offense compared to LA's 481. Winston went 11 of 27 for 111 yards and threw an end-zone interception to Trent McDuffie in the second quarter. The Giants managed only a field goal after Jevon Holland forced and recovered a fumble at the Los Angeles 11 right before halftime, with Donald stuffing Najee Harris on a classic third-down tackle.

Wide receiver Malik Nabers hurt his right shoulder on the second-to-last play of the first quarter. He got tangled up with Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie on a contested catch that fell incomplete and immediately doubled over in pain before falling to the ground on the sidelines.

Nabers — who missed most of last season with a torn ACL in his right knee — ran to the sidelines and remained on the bench, working with a trainer and lifting and flexing his right arm as the Giants prepared for their ensuing offensive possession after falling behind 14-0. 

He was able to return to the game but was a non-factor with one catch for one yard, which came before the injury.

Giants pass rusher Brian Burns also went down with a lower left leg injury in the fourth quarter. He turned down a cart ride postgame.

Adams made eight catches for 195 yards and hauled in two of Stafford’s four touchdown passes. Stafford passed for 327 yards for the Rams (1-1), who played without injured All-Pros Puka Nacua and Myles Garrett. 

Stafford and Adams put on a vintage performance while the preseason Super Bowl favorites rebounded competently from last week’s 27-7 debacle of a loss to the 49ers in Australia.

Adams’ catches and yards receiving were both his best performances in a Rams uniform, while league MVP Stafford moved into sixth in NFL history with his 426th career TD pass, topping Philip Rivers when Adams adroitly tracked down an 11-yard fade in the third quarter.

The night was also a milestone for Aaron Donald, who had three tackles for the Rams while completing his comeback with his first NFL game action in 32 months. The three-time AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year, who skipped the Week 1 trip to Melbourne, got wild cheers from Rams fans at every opportunity at SoFi Stadium.

Adams was extraordinary in the second game of his 13th NFL season. He made a two-handed grab high above his head before taking it for a 31-yard touchdown on the Rams’ second possession, and he made a 64-yard catch on their third drive to set up Kyren Williams’ 10-yard TD catch.

Stafford put it away with a TD pass to Terrance Ferguson with 8:57 to play.