Fans of offensive football didn’t have much to enjoy when the Rams and Giants hooked up on Sunday, but Rams fans can at least be content that their team came up with a win.
Jared Goff hooked up with Cooper Kupp for a 55-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that put the Rams up 17-9 and their defense was able to keep the Giants from getting into the end zone at the end of the game. Cornerback Darious Williams picked off a Daniel Jones pass with 52 seconds to go to put the final nail in New York’s coffin.
The win lifts the Rams to 3-1 on the season and ensures the Giants will have to wait at least one more week for their first win of the year. They’ll be in Dallas for that attempt while the Rams will head to Washington for another NFC East opponent.
Goff’s throw to Kupp was the biggest gainer of the day for the Rams by a long shot and the only real fireworks until a postgame fight between Giants wide receiver Golden Tate and Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey. The two players have a long history of animosity and went at each other moments after the final whistle.
The quarterback ended the day 25-of-32 for 200 yards. He was sacked twice by a defense that had a far better day than it had against the 49ers in Week Three, so that’s a silver lining for the Giants.
The offense offered little encouragement, however. Jones was sacked five times and eight times and the team’s most effective offensive play was often having him scramble away from pressure. He tied Wayne Gallman for the team’s lead with 45 rushing yards.
He was 23-of-36 for 190 yards when he was able to get the ball into the air, but the team continues to struggle to consistently move the football this season and it will be tough to win as long as that continues to happen. The same is true of the Rams, although they have had some moments this season that suggest Sunday’s struggles were an aberration.