Aaron Donald's return went the other direction from the story the week promised. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year was back on an NFL field for the first time since 2023, but on a snap-limited plan built around covering for Myles Garrett's knee surgery, he was never the one deciding series — Stafford was. Stafford, who'd managed just 155 yards and thrown a pick in the opener against San Francisco, looked like a different quarterback from the opening drive.
By kickoff, the market had already priced in a Rams team thinner at receiver than usual — Puka Nacua trending toward out, Jordan Whittington doubtful behind him — against a Giants team that had just delivered the best win of John Harbaugh's short tenure. None of that mattered once New York lost its quarterback.
Stafford finished with 4 touchdown passes, connecting twice with Davante Adams and adding scores to Kyren Williams and Terrance Ferguson, a night that also pushed him past Philip Rivers for sixth on the NFL's all-time passing touchdown list. Kyren Williams, who'd found the end zone even in a rough Week 1 loss, did it again behind an offense that clearly missed Nacua less than the preview suggested it would.
Najee Harris's much-discussed debut got buried in a game that was never competitive past the first quarter, and the Giants defense — the one flagged coming in as untested against a healthy pass rush — spent the night chasing a Rams offense that scored in all four quarters instead. New York heads home 1-1 with a bigger question than the one it answered against Dallas: who plays quarterback while Dart's knee heals.