The New York Giants opened their season in the best way possible, beating the Dallas Cowboys wire-to-wire in front of their home fans at MetLife Stadium.
The vibes haven’t been this in the New York-New Jersey area in quite some time, but the positivity is going to face a tough task in Week 2 as the Giants prepare to face the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football.
The Rams came into the 2026 season as the odds-on favorite to win Super Bowl LXI, and to make matters worse for New York, they’re going to be playing with an edge after losing their season opener to the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia.
But to make things even more difficult, they’ll be facing off against future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald in his first game back after unretiring.
Aaron Donald Says He Plans to Play vs. Giants
Donald, who sat out the Los Angeles Rams Week 1 game, told reporters that he will be suiting up against the New York Giants, playing in his first NFL game since the 2023 season.
“That’s the plan,” the three-time Defensive Player of the Year said when asked about his plans for Week 2, via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Donald: “That’s the plan.”
Obviously, this is not ideal for the Giants. Donald may not have played the last two seasons, but he’s a guaranteed future Hall of Famer and has been getting back into game shape all offseason.
His debut, at home at SoFi Stadium, is expected to be a special one. New York’s interior offensive line better prepare themselves to see a hungry Donald.
Giants Will Fortunately Dodge Myles Garrett
While the New York Giants are going to be facing off against Donald, they are going to avoid seeing the reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, who the Los Angeles Rams traded for this past offseason.
Garrett has been nursing a knee injury all offseason, and after a quiet Week 1 outing in Australia, Los Angeles decided to shut him down for at least four weeks so he could get surgery on his knee.
Sean McVay told reporters the team initially thought it was something Garrett could play through and manage, but they decided collectively it was in his best interest to take some time to recover.
How Can the Giants Beat the Rams?
It’s not far-fetched to say the New York Giants are facing an uphill climb heading out to Los Angeles to take on the Rams. On most sportsbooks, they’re listed as an underdog by at least a touchdown, and it may take an extraordinary team performance to come away with a win.
SNY’s Connor Hughes believes the Giants will have to score at least 30 points on offense to get the victory, and the defense will need to get multiple stops against the Rams offense.
“In my opinion, it’s going to come down to points. I don’t think the defense is going to shut down the Rams’ offense; I think the Rams are going to score. If the Giants want to win, they’re going to have to find a way to get to 30,” Hughes said on his show NYG411.
We’ll see if New York can continue their impressive offensive showing from last Sunday night when they fly across the country for Monday Night Football.
Aaron Donald Sends Message to Giants Ahead of Rams Debut