The Los Angeles Rams have used their extended Week 2 preparation trying to flush a 27-7 season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
When Monday night hits, they also will compete against a very favorable matchup may for their passing game.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter marked a battered New York cornerback room Saturday, with Paulson Adebo on injured reserve, Deonte Banks coming off a missed Friday practice because of a calf injury and Greg Newsome II limited by a rib issue.
🏈Paulson Adebo, placed on injured reserve Friday, knee 🏈Deonte Banks, no practice Friday, calf. 🏈Greg Newsome III, limited practice Friday, rib.
Team leaves today for LA.
That cluster of injuries creates an opening for Davante Adams and Matthew Stafford after Los Angeles struggled to soar through the air in Australia.
It also makes the status of Puka Nacua, who missed Friday’s practice with a hip injury, more eye-catching.
If Nacua plays, the New York Giants have to cover both of Los Angeles’ top receivers with a compromised group. But if he can’t, Adams will have to step up.
Giants’ Cornerback Group Takes Multiple Hits Before Rams Game
Adebo’s absence is final.
The Giants placed him on injured reserve Friday, meaning he will miss at least four games. New York also signed Nikko Reed to the active roster from the Los Angeles Chargers’ practice squad, a move that supplied depth before the trip west.
The more pressing question is what the Giants will have around Adebo.
Via the Giants’ Friday injury report, Banks went from limited participation Thursday to no practice Friday because of his calf. Newsome was limited for the second consecutive practice with his rib injury.
With New York playing Monday, their final game designations will bring more clarity to both situations.
Banks started the opener against the Dallas Cowboys, notching four tackles and breaking up two passes in New York’s 28-20 victory. Newsome also played a role on the outside, so losing either would further stretch a group forced to account for Adebo’s move to injured reserve.
Reed, meanwhile, has limited NFL experience. The Giants noted that the former undrafted Oregon cornerback appeared in five games for the Chargers as a rookie in 2025, primarily contributing on special teams.
The potentially inviting setup for the Rams offense is in full swing.
Adams Has Chance to Reset Rams Passing Game
The Rams’ opener didn’t provide many opportunities for their passing attack to thrive.
Stafford finished with 155 passing yards and an interception against San Francisco, while Adams caught three passes for 26 yards. Nacua was the more productive target, finishing with five receptions for 74 yards.
Adams acknowledged this week that Los Angeles needed to execute better after the loss, but he pushed back against the idea that the Week 1 showing would define the offense.
“You’re a fool if you think that that’s what it’s going to look like every single week,” Adams said Thursday, per the Rams’ official website.
Monday is a logical spot to trial that confidence.
Adams returned to full participation Friday after receiving a rest day Thursday, and Nacua was added to the injury report with the hip issue and didn’t participate.
The Giants can still generate problems through their defensive front, something Adams specifically commended earlier in the week.
But if Stafford gets enough time, the health of New York’s cornerback room may give the Rams a chance to get their veteran receiver humming after a quiet debut.
Rams’ $46 Million WR Faces Golden Opportunity With Giants CB Injuries