Just a few hours before the kickoff of the Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants game on Monday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter posted on X that Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald would play. That finally ended the wait, and the 73,773 fans at SoFi Stadium were ready to welcome him back.
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When Donald entered the stadium in full gear, the crowd erupted. The stadium screen then showed his wife, Erica, and their children clapping from the stands. Later, Donald revealed that his kids had called him 20 times to tell him they were ready to watch him play football. It was a special moment as the defensive tackle made his comeback.
And believe it or not, several major stars were also in the box to witness the occasion. LeBron James, Pat McAfee, Russell Westbrook, DeMar DeRozan, and Mookie Betts were among those in attendance. But that was only part of the story.
Apart from Donald’s emotional NFL comeback and the star-studded crowd, the game featured a dominant Los Angeles Rams victory over the New York Giants, 28-6. There were also several other memorable moments worth revisiting.
Jaxson Dart and several Giants athletes suffered injuries
After the game, Matthew Stafford was seen hugging Jaxson Dart, and if you read their lips, it looked like the Giants quarterback said, “I’ll be alright.” So, what happened to him?
During the New York Giants’ opening drive, Dart faced a third-and-8 on the seventh play from scrimmage. While under pressure from Los Angeles Rams linebacker Byron Young, Dart took a hit that sent him into linebacker Josaiah Stewart, who undercut his legs. Dart landed awkwardly on the turf.
He remained down while clutching his knee before eventually walking off and heading to the medical tent. He later went to the locker room. Before leaving, Dart had completed 3 of 5 passes for 20 yards, with backup Jameis Winston taking over for the rest of the contest.
Later, Dart returned to the sidelines to support his team.
SNYtv’s Connor Hughes reported, “Sources have confirmed to SNY that Dart did suffer a sprained MCL. From my understanding, the team is bracing for about a 2-3, 2-4 week absence from their starting quarterback.
“This was absolutely an avoidance of the worst-case scenario because his ACL is believed to be intact. That will be confirmed with an MRI tomorrow in New York.”
The quarterback had to leave the game because of his injury, but if it were up to him, he would have still played. Teammate Cam Skattebo confirmed this.
“He [Dart] told me he wanted to get back out there, and the doctors kind of told him no,” Skattebo later revealed. “He told me what was happening. I’m going to leave that to him and the doctors and stuff. I think he’ll be alright here in the next few weeks.”
Adding to the drama, Skattebo himself was pancaked by Los Angeles Rams defenders at one point during the game. He immediately yelled at the referee. The hit did not leave the running back injured, but Skattebo was clearly furious about the play.
All that said, Jaxson Dart was not the only New York Giants player dealing with an injury. Malik Nabers reportedly dislocated his right shoulder late in the first quarter after landing hard during a pass breakup. Medical staff popped the shoulder back into place, allowing the wide receiver to return in the second quarter, although he was visibly limited.
Later, Nabers said, “My shoulder’s okay. Gonna get an X-ray on it, see what’s going on. I was out there, trying to just come back out. We had lost Jax, so I didn’t want to give the team another loss. It popped out, and I just popped it back in.”
Further updates claim that New York Giants outside linebacker Brian Burns sustained a left ankle sprain late in the contest after his leg was stepped on by Los Angeles Rams center Coleman Shelton. On the other hand, left tackle Andrew Thomas left in the fourth quarter with a groin injury.
The game belonged to Matthew Stafford
While discussing Matthew Stafford’s performance, former player Andrew Whitworth said, “Matthew Stafford has been somebody who has never feared another opportunity to show you who he is.”
Stafford certainly lived up to those words. At one point, cameras turned toward LeBron James after Stafford threw a touchdown, and the NBA star was seen mimicking the quarterback’s celebration. What exactly did the Los Angeles Rams quarterback do to put on such a show?
From the opening kickoff, the 38-year-old veteran controlled the tempo with impressive precision. Stafford completed 22 of 31 passes for 327 yards and four touchdowns, putting together a dominant performance after questions surrounding the Los Angeles Rams’ opening-week showing.
Stafford’s main target throughout the night was wide receiver Davante Adams, who torched the New York Giants’ secondary for 195 yards and two touchdowns on eight receptions. The connection between the two came alive late in the first quarter when Stafford found Adams for a 31-yard touchdown along the sideline to open the scoring.
The Los Angeles Rams extended their advantage in the second quarter when Stafford connected with running back Kyren Williams for a 10-yard touchdown. Although Stafford threw an interception to New York Giants safety Jevon Holland later in the quarter, he quickly regained his rhythm after halftime.
In the third quarter, Stafford found Adams again for an 11-yard touchdown before finishing his night with a 5-yard scoring pass to tight end Terrance Ferguson in the fourth quarter.
However, the victory was not the only highlight for the veteran quarterback. With his four-touchdown performance, Stafford recorded the 425th and 426th touchdown passes of his career, moving past Philip Rivers for sixth place on the NFL’s all-time passing touchdowns list.
Troy Aikman’s on-air mix-up during Monday Night Football
During the first quarter of the Los Angeles Rams-New York Giants broadcast, ESPN analyst Troy Aikman made a notable mistake by crediting Aaron Donald when he wasn’t even on the field.
“Now here’s a look at Aaron Donald and his quickness,” Aikman said. “He’s able to give pressure inside.”
Following a pass attempt from Jaxson Dart, ESPN showed a replay highlighting the Los Angeles Rams’ interior pass rush. Aikman then broke down the play for viewers, but made a mistake by mentioning Donald.
Donald, who wears No. 99, was resting on the sideline at that time. The player who actually beat the offensive line and generated the pressure was rookie defensive lineman Tyler Davis, who wears No. 90.
Aikman’s mistake quickly drew attention on social media, with fans roasting the longtime ESPN analyst for misidentifying the jersey number and giving Donald credit for a play he wasn’t involved in.
After all of that, Aaron Donald’s return to the field remained one of the biggest talking points.
How did Aaron Donald perform on his return?
With plenty of anticipation surrounding his return, Donald finally stepped onto the field.
Donald finished with three total tackles, one tackle for loss, and one quarterback pressure. His signature moment came in the first half on a key third down, when he shed a block and stuffed New York Giants running back Najee Harris for a loss in the red zone, forcing the New York Giants to settle for a field goal.
According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Donald averaged a 0.75-second get-off time across his 18 pass-rush snaps. That was the third-fastest get-off time by an interior defensive lineman in the NFL this season.
After the contest, Donald also joked to the camera that his body felt “a little sore” following his first game since the 2023 season.
For a veteran returning after such a long absence, Donald certainly gave fans plenty to talk about. Now, the focus will turn to how he builds on that performance in the games ahead.