Rams 28, Giants 6: Instant position-by-position grades for New York

The New York Giants lost starting quarterback Jaxson Dart on their first offensive drive, and they failed to gain much offensive rhythm after Dart’s seven offensive plays that went for 27 yards. New York failed to get anything going on the ground, and Jameis Winston looked overmatched in relief of Dart. The Giants only had 182 yards on offense, and the Rams rumbled for 481 yards, while averaging eight yards per play.

Los Angeles went 5 of 9 on third down and the Giants 3 of 14. The Rams had the football for five minutes and ten seconds more, but their explosive plays complied, as the Giants’ offense sputtered all night after Dart’s injury. The Giants suffered multiple injuries in the loss, but they’ll have to quickly regroup on a short week. Brian Burns hurt his ankle late in the fourth quarter. It was just a brutal game for the Giants from many perspectives. Here are the grades.

Quarterback

The Giants lost Jaxson Dart on their first offensive drive. Dart was ruled out in the second half, and it was a devastating blow to the Giants’ nation. Jameis Winston looked lost through the first half. He went 4 of 12 for 58 yards with a terrible interception in the red zone. Winston didn’t improve until the Rams were up by three-plus scores well into the second half. Winston finished 11 of 27 for 111 yards while suffering two sacks and throwing an interception. It was the worst I’ve seen Winston as a Giant. Dart was 3 of 5 for 20 yards before the injury.

Grade: D

Running back

Jevon Holland forced a fumble late in the first half, which gave the Giants excellent field position and a chance to split the Rams’ lead in half. Matt Nagy decided to roll out a package with Najee Harris on second and third down, with the third down play being in 11 personnel. It was a handoff, too, and it was a massive tackle for a loss that led to a Dominic Zvada 24-yard field goal. With no Jaxson Dart, Nagy kept his best running back on the bench in a critical situation – that’s a HIGHLY questionable situation. 

The Giants averaged a measly 2.5 yards per carry. Skattebo finished with 12 carries for 36 yards; he added four catches for 19 yards. There was no room on the ground, and the backs couldn’t get much goiung.

Grade: C

Wide receiver