Giants-Rams Week 2 MNF Recap: Aaron Donald and  Prime Davante Adams Return

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2:40It's Devontae! Untouched down the left. Pass marks to the end zone. That was Devontae Adams setting the scene on a great night for the Los Angeles Rams with his first of two touchdowns in SoFi Stadium on a night where he wound up with 195 yards and two scores. Who needs Puka Nakua? They set the tone on a night where it wasn't as entertaining as we thought because Jackson Dart went down with an injury early. a knee injury that may not be as bad as originally feared. We're going to get to all that on this show with my friend Jordan Rodrigue and our new friend who's joined the show before, Cody Alexander, who's at Match Quarters.

3:26I hope to get Cody, I hope to get you a great game, you know, for this first one. I think there was a lot to dive into, including the Rams, looking like the Rams we expected to see before they went to Australia, but not quite as tight as we were expecting going into it. yeah I was excited to see them especially what were they going to do to answer what that week one was I was excited about this defense coming in I'm a big Shula fan I love the evolution that he's taken this defense he's kind of steered it away from the Fangio system you bring two press corners in what does that mean does that mean they're going to play more cover too they're going to look more like Seattle are they going to play more man coverage so I didn't feel like we got that answered in week one I feel like I have a little bit better understanding of what they

4:12Jourdan Rodrigue:want to do here in week two yeah and I I mean I'm excited to dig into all of that too and and I feel like you know not to bury the lead Aaron Donald's back also you know it was like it honestly hit me before the game was starting that it seems almost too normal and too expected at this point, like Aaron Donald is playing in an NFL game today. And yet we'll get to Donald's night later. It was relatively quiet. His teammates on the defensive line, I think, looked a thousand percent better than they did in that opener. And that was a key. And we'll kind of break down what Donald did. And yet the biggest story was Devante having kind of a throwback night and Matthew Stafford after a rough week one looking great.

4:58Let's actually listen to Adams on his longest catch of the night.

5:24for another chunk play and the Rams are in business. There were so many special catches from Devontae. That one was traditional and you did think, oh, the young Devontae might have scored. That was the old Devontae maybe, but I didn't know he had a game like this in him and that's what makes him, of course, the player of the week. It's presented by Nationwide. We do it every week and there really wasn't another option. What did you see out of this connection, Jordan, and especially about what Adams was able to do without Nakua on the field?

5:57Jourdan Rodrigue:Well, they were targeting the corners early. You know, the Giants were really depleted at cornerback, banged up. Colton Hood got his first career start, so it's sort of thrown into the fire right away. So you knew that they were going to come out and try to test some of the spacing and some of the coverage that they were seeing from the Giants. And they found space early, and Devontae Adams found a lot of wins early. At halftime, he had 145 yards already and a touchdown. And he accounted for 94.7 % of the air yard share of the entire Rams offense at that time. But it was in the third quarter on some of those back-to-back explosive plays to set up that touchdown drive that made me think people are going to be watching this tape of Devante Adams from this game for so many years to come because of how much of a clinic he was putting on as a expert in his craft.

6:49Jourdan Rodrigue:some of the body control and the way that he could find space, the movement that he created, the way he would get off the line of scrimmage, the way he would sort of twist or arc his routes when he needed to, just the way he could control his body at the catch point too. It was really, really special stuff from Devontae Adams, and they needed a special night from him, not only to help buoy this team to bounce back in a big way, but to also kind of set the table for what ended up being a little bit of a weird game after Jackson Dart went out early. And then, you know, it just it was a little bit of a funky game, a couple turnovers.

7:21Jourdan Rodrigue:He just was absolutely electric throughout the entire game. Yeah, there was not many parts of the Rams operation that wasn't dominant in this game. The offensive line played well. Stafford, you know, had an interception and Kyron Williams turned the ball over on a fumble or else it would have been even easier. The line played great on defense. But what specifically out of the passing game, Cody, did you see tonight to give you encouragement that, OK, this is this is probably the Rams team at least throwing the ball that we expected to see going into the year? They were killing them on double moves all night in deep double moves.

7:58These are not like a hitch and go that we're used to seeing like A.J. Brown run. This is, hey, we're going to go deep. We know you're going to run mostly zone. I think they were at 65 percent tonight. So we're going to run mostly zone. We know we're going to attack you deep, try and play action, get behind those linebackers, get those DBs feeling like I've been backpedaling. I need to really nail down on this. And then the next thing you know, he goes in around them. You know, that's that soft spot. And then where he's able to run, that's really where the Rams live. That's what they want. They want to make it as easy as possible.

8:30But I will say this Stafford, he still will throw the ball deep. He was the best deep ball passer last year in the NFL. And it looks like that's not going to change. Yeah, one of the strangest takeaways I heard after week one was like his arm didn't look quite the same. It was like, no, he was late on a few throws. He missed some throws and he missed a couple throws tonight. But there is no problem with that arm strength. As, yes, one of our viewers watching now, the demise of the Rams is greatly exaggerated. I don't think you need to overreact too much to what happened in week one. I don't think you need to overreact too much to what happened in week two.

9:04The only thing I feel differently about the NFC West now than I did going into week one is that the 49ers are in a little better shape than I expected. And I viewed the Rams and the Seahawks as the best two teams in the NFL coming into the year. There's not really too much to change what I've thought so far. What specifically tonight, Jordan, I think, like stood out to you most outside on the offense from Devontae. They were trying to get our guy Terrence Ferguson involved. It did happen. Look, Stafford threw four touchdowns on this game, ended up with 327 yards, and Ferguson caught six passes for 54 yards.

9:40Jourdan Rodrigue:He left about 60 yards and maybe a touchdown on the board, by the way. A couple times, he just wasn't ready for how quick the ball was getting to him, which, you know, he'll settle into that role. But really what stuck out to me the most about this Rams offense was how well they protected Matthew Stafford. They only allowed him to be pressured four times, according to next-gen stats. and of the four dropbacks in which he was pressured, he still completed two passes for 24 yards. But the rest of his 27 dropbacks throughout the evening, he was not pressured per next gen. And he went 302 yards, four touchdowns in the interception.

10:18Jourdan Rodrigue:The interception was sort of like the Matthew Stafford, Effet Devontae Adams is down there throw that you could tell he just really wanted to eat the whole pizza at that point. But for me, what I thought was so telling was this Giants defensive line has a stellar reputation right now, and deservedly so for the way that they are built and the way that they can get after quarterbacks. And they were totally neutralized tonight. And a lot of it was also the extra players that Sean McVay and his coaching staff sent into protection and how well that they blocked. He had six different skill players picking up at least one pressure throughout tonight.

10:59Jourdan Rodrigue:So all of the extra tight ends, plus Kyron Williams and Blake Corum. And so for me, it was almost like, you know, I didn't see you respect the 49ers pass rush plan that much to have this well concocted of a pass rush plan developed into this game. But it was a sign of respect, I think, for what the Giants can do. And also for what they know Matthew Stafford can do when he's got time to throw it, because he did. The numbers are crazy, and it's not like his time to throw was that low on the day. It was 2.6, which is relatively low for Stafford. But they, as you mentioned, only got four pressure.

11:33So I'm looking at, like, look, you beat the Rams if you get Stafford. His numbers go down pretty big time against pressure. He's just two for four. Like, there's only four. No one on the Giants. This is a team with Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeau, Abdul Carter, and then Arvel Reese they're going to use sometimes blitzing. No one had more than one pressure. Carter had one great rush. I believe that was against Alaric Jackson. But other than that, the offensive line for the Rams was awesome. Brian Burns also left this game late in the fourth quarter. I'm thinking like, I don't know. You're a football guy, you know, Cody.

12:08Like, why are these starters still out there at 28 to 6? That just drives me crazy when it's 28 to 6. There's five minutes left. There's no chance to win. And then also, what did you see? you know, and we'll move on from the Rams offense after this kind of from this protection, which really was impressive. I think the fact that the Rams won up front on both sides of the ball, like bodes really well for them long term. Well, I'll just say that it's about about the starters. That's the thing. If it ain't in the 30s, you're probably going to be playing in the game. So, I mean, even though it was 28 to six, you're going to finish this game.

12:42It's a it's a sense of pride. Now, as far as what I saw with the protection, there was a lot of what they were getting into what's called pump pro protection. So you have a slotted tight end and then he would move the running back just to get these chip releases. I think also too, with the play action from 13 personnel, yes, you're isolated, but they're doing such a really good job of getting, you know, these huge tight ends into space and getting the linebackers going different directions. We saw this all night. That's really once they started running the ball, you know, that's the thing. We all love the pass, but game control is a real thing in the NFL.

13:17And when you can really lean into that game control, that puts those linebackers in constant conflict because they feel like they have to fit the gap. They can't catch a breath because they're not stopping the run. And then, oh, by that time, you get the ball passed over him. So that's why we were seeing such a quick release. He was also having good protection on the edges, which no. And then that interior was really holding that fence. And so the depth of the pocket was able for him to really sit in there and be comfortable. So they ran the ball really well tonight, and it's a very typical Rams game where you pass to set up the run, as you should.

13:49And they end up with about 55 % success rate, not too far off where they were last year over the course of the season when they're one of the most efficient running games in history. They get up to 163 yards in the end. Blake Corham is starting the second half. It is very much a timeshare between two backs who are both good at different aspects of the game, and I think they'll feel great about their offense and their front.

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18:31now for the giants before we hit the Rams defense after the game, John Harbaugh said it was not as devastating an outcome for Jackson dart as, as it could have been our insider at NFL network. Ian Rappaport says Jackson dart is believed to have suffered a sprained MCL. And that's telling him and Mike Garofalo, some sources there. Jackson Dart was on the sideline, moving around, didn't appear to have much of a limp, according to ESPN's Laura Rutledge. And hopefully that's an injury that does not keep him out too long. That can be a week, that can be two weeks, that can be three, four weeks, who knows?

19:13There's no point in guessing right now, but that is not a season-ending injury. And they will need him back, I think, to have a productive offense. Jameis Winston should look better if he has a full week to prepare Jordan, but he did not look ready for primetime tonight in part because his offensive line lost the battle up front too. That's unfortunately what got Jackson Dart hurt was a great rush by Josiah Stewart. I think it was and Byron Young on that play, but especially Stewart. What did you think about Winston and everything that the Rams threw at him?

19:45Jourdan Rodrigue:Well, he really he struggled, obviously. I mean, we all saw it, but it also he struggled when even Even when he was looking like he wanted to break the pocket, there was one play action that looked like he was going to run like a looping bootleg, but then keep arcing it around going up the sideline. But he decides to throw instead. It's not a completion. You know, Byron Young was after him all game. Josiah Stewart really got after him as well on those edges. And they were allowing Josiah Stewart to either be that for that second rusher opposite Byron Young or sort of sit back a little bit. in that, like, I think, Cody, you can correct me if I'm wrong, like that hook defender position with big Fangio system guys like to run.

20:26Jourdan Rodrigue:But this was also Jameis Winston against the Blitz. What I thought was really interesting was that the Rams used extra defensive backs on the field pretty effectively this time to try to sell out against the run. The Giants play these really condensed formations, run or pass, it looks like to me. And so they were able to kind of crowd down along the line of scrimmage with all of those extra DBs, keep the integrity of their shell a little bit more intact at the same time. But then they started really crowding and sending those DBs on blitzes when Jameis got into the deficit and had to start to pass.

21:00Jourdan Rodrigue:And at one point during the game, our friend Mina Kimes shared this out courtesy of NextGen. He's like one for nine against the blitz and really struggling with it. But it was interesting because you say pass to set up the run on the offensive side for the Rams. It was almost like they set up the run defense to set up the pass defense, which is how you play the Giants when everybody is healthy. So their plan sort of adjusted midway through for all those extra DBs that were there helping effectively bottle up the run early on, you know, then started getting used, stayed on the field, started getting used for some of these extra pressure looks that really, really frazzled Jameis Winston.

21:32Yeah, I want to get your thoughts, Cody, on all the man coverage that they played and you got a feel of what they were going to do. But first, I do want to talk about Aaron Donald. I had a hard time watching anyone else on the field, which is a fun way to watch a game. I would recommend it. You just pick like one player on the line, especially. And you'll see a lot by just watching that one player. It was a mostly quiet night for Aaron Donald returning to action. But he did have one very Aaron Donald moment in run defense. We've got James in the shotgun. Najee Harris offset right. Take the snap.

22:09Give middle. He's hit the backfield. He's returned to sender. Guess who? AD 99 back in Royal and Seoul with a third down run stuff. It's fourth and five on the six. The look on John Harbaugh's face after that. It's like, we got to deal with this guy again. Like we have enough to work with. And the Giants could not run all night. I'm not going to give all the credit to that to Aaron Donald. Cody, but what did you see out of him on this night where he returns and he's the last guy to get introduced, and the crowd goes absolutely crazy for him at SoFi? Well, I think people still respect him. So you're seeing you're definitely going to slide the protection his way.

22:53You're going to at least try and double-team him at some point. I thought the tackle for loss is the one time they put a tight end on Aaron Donald. We see this every week in the NFL. What are we doing putting tight ends on premier rushers? It happens every time, even though it was a safety blitz. They ended up getting a two on one. But I think with with the Rams, that's what you want. You you really want to use him in an essence of to build that kind of from the aggregate everywhere else. It's OK. We don't have Miles Garrett. So now they're going to all slide to you. That's going to open up everybody else.

23:27And I thought that's what we saw from the Rams is kind of using him almost as a leveraging tool for the rest of the pass rush. It's kind of it's it's kind of funny, Cody, too, because like he they I know Miles Garrett was injured.

23:41Jourdan Rodrigue:So that there's a huge caveat for the first game of the season. But it's almost like they really remembered how to play when you've got a math changing interior lineman to and all of the different like ripple effects that you have to be aware of as your own on your own side as a defense and all of the permutations of that. And then once that player was on the edge, it was like, I mean, I just saw so much more diversity and what type of pressure they were bringing and the way that they were playing the run too. Yeah. And look, everyone ate tonight. I, as I mentioned, the guys on the outside, Josiah Stewart and Byron Young played really well, but I thought Kobe Turner had a really good game.