Get used to the John Harbaugh effect, New York Giants fans. I'm talking prime-time games like you wouldn't believe. When was the last time the G-Men were national-television-worthy?
After opening the season with a win against the Dallas Cowboys under the lights at MetLife Stadium, Big Blue is heading across the country for another prime-time matchup, this time against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Big Blue heads west undefeated, while the Rams look to put their season-opening stinker against the San Francisco 49ers behind them.
Monday Night Football. Giants (1-0)-Rams (0-1). SoFi. Let’s get into everything you need to know before kickoff.
- How to watch Giants vs. Rams in Week 2
- Giants injury report for Week 2
- Rams injury report for Week 2
- Biggest Giants storylines heading into Week 2
- Predictions for Giants vs. Rams in Week 2
Last updated: Monday, September 21 at 6:00 am ET.
How to watch Giants vs. Rams in Week 2
- Date: Monday, September 21
- Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
- TV Network: ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC
- Announcers: Joe Buck (play-by-play), Troy Aikman (color analyst), Lisa Salters and Laura Rutledge (sideline reporting)
The Giants play in primetime four times this season, one more than they did last season. Don't look now, they're getting more watchable by the year. They play on Monday Night Football one more time -- in Week 16 on the road against the Detroit Lions.
Giants injury report for Week 2
Name | Position | Injury | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
Deonte Banks | CB | Calf | Questionable |
Chauncey Golston | DL | Neck | -- |
Francis "Sisi" Mauigoa | OL | Shoulder | -- |
Micah McFadden | LB | Neck | Questionable |
Andrew Thomas | OL | Ankle | -- |
Greg Newsome II | CB | Rib | -- |
Cornerback Paulson Adebo has already been ruled out as he heads to IR with a knee injury. The G-Men signed Nikko Reed off the LA Chargers’ practice squad earlier in the week, a move that makes a whole lot more sense now.
Starting corner Deonte Banks is questionable with a calf injury, while linebacker Micah McFadden is also questionable with a neck injury.
Rams injury report for Week 2
Name | Position | Injury | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
Kam Curl | SAF | Ankle | -- |
Omar Speights | LB | Hip | -- |
Nate Landman | LB | Shoulder | -- |
Kam Kinchens | SAF | Hamstring | OUT |
Davante Adams | WR | Rest | -- |
Puka Nacua | WR | Hip | Questionable |
Jordan Whittington | WR | Quad | Doubtful |
Tyler Higbee | TE | Rest | -- |
Byron Young | EDGE | Rest | -- |
Alaric Jackson | OL | Rest | -- |
Aaron Donald | DE | Rest | -- |
Excuse the Costco receipt, but apparently, the Rams are banged up a bit. We already know they won’t have superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett, who’s on IR, so the biggest name becomes Puka Nacua. He’s listed as questionable, and if he can’t go, it’d be a huge break for a banged-up Giants secondary that could use all the help it can get.
Recently unretired future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald is set to make his season debut against New York, barring something unexpected over the next couple of hours.
Biggest Giants storylines heading into Week 2
Sisi Mauiga vs. Aaron Donald
Welcome to the NFL, kid. After not allowing a single pressure across 36 pass-blocking snaps in his debut against Dallas, Sisi gets a slightly different assignment in Week 2: Aaron freaking Donald.
Donald hasn’t played an NFL snap in almost three years, so expecting the eight-time All-Pro to come off the couch and immediately look like the guy who spent a decade ruining offensive linemen’s lives might be asking a lot. Still, he’s Aaron Donald. And Mauigoa is a 21-year-old rookie making his second career start.
The Giants couldn’t have asked for much more from the No. 10 pick in Week 1. Monday night should tell us a little more about just how special he is/can be.
Who's going to step up at corner for Big Blue?
This could get ugly -- err, interesting. Adebo is out for at least the next four weeks, while Banks is questionable. At least Newsome is good to go after dealing with a rib injury earlier in the week.
If Banks can’t play, rookie Colton Hood could find himself starting opposite Newsome. Hood played just six defensive snaps in his debut, and going from limited playing time to dealing with Puka Nacua and Davante Adams is quite the jump.
Ar’Darius Washington could see more work with the secondary running short on bodies. Whatever the Giants end up doing, Matthew Stafford is probably going to notice who’s missing.
The potato paradox
All mash, no crash. From spuds to sacks. Time to harvest: stacking sacks. However you want to put it, the Giants will be looking to fill their sack of potatoes with… sacks (that are metaphorical potatoes – we all know what I’m getting at).
The Giants might’ve dominated the Cowboys in Week 1, but their daunting pass rush still left the game with zero sacks. Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux don’t need me to tell them that’s not exactly what this defense was built for.
Stafford is next. Let’s see if the potatoes finally make it into the sack this time around.
Predictions for Giants vs. Rams in Week 2
ESPN Experts
- Matt Bowen - Rams
- Mike Clay - Rams
- Jeremy Fowler - Rams
- Dan Graziano - Rams
- Kalyn Kahler - Giants
- Pamela Maldonado - Rams
- Eric Moody - Rams
- Jason Reid - Rams
- Ben Solak - Rams
- Lindsey Thiry - Rams
- Seth Wickersham - Rams
Bleacher Report Experts
- Gary Davenport - Giants
- Ian Hanford - Giants
- Wes O’Donnell - Giants
- Brent Sobleski Giants
- Brad Gagnon - Rams
- Kristopher Knox - Rams
- Moe Moton - Rams
Add us as a preferred source on Google