Rams 28, Giants 6 — Week 2: Four Touchdown Throws, None Allowed

Third and 10 at the Los Angeles 22, 12 50 left in the second quarter, up seven to nothing. Matthew Stafford threw deep right to Davante Adams, who took it 64 yards to the New York 14. It was the biggest play of the night by win probability, worth more than nine points of it, and by expected points added — what a snap was worth given the down, the distance and the field position, measured against what that situation was already worth — it was worth +5.4, more than any other snap in the game. Three plays later, on third and six from the 10, Stafford threw short left to Williams for the touchdown. The Rams beat the Giants 28 to six at home on Monday night, and they led from the 19-second mark of the first quarter to the end.

Start with the passing game, because it is the opposite of last week. 31 pass plays were worth +18.5 expected points, third of the 32 teams this week in total and third per play. 327 passing yards, tied with Detroit for third in Week 2. 58 percent of those plays were successful, meaning they kept the offense on schedule, also third. Last week against San Francisco, 28 pass plays were worth −11 expected points, 20-ninth of 32, with no touchdowns. At the rate this offense passed last season, when it ranked third in the league, Monday's 31 would have been worth about +7 — so this was more than twice that.

All four touchdowns came through the air, to three different receivers, and only the first one came from outside the red zone. 31 yards to Adams on second and 14 with 19 seconds left in the first quarter. 10 yards to Williams on third and six. 11 yards to Adams on first and 10 in the third quarter. Five yards to Ferguson on second and five in the fourth. The distance came in between: five completions of 20 yards or more, the longest 64.

The run game split its own verdict. A hundred 66 rushing yards was third-most of the 32 teams in Week 2, and 52 percent of 25 rush plays were successful, fifth. But the same 25 plays came to −2.2 expected points, fourteenth this week, and at the rate this run game produced last season, when it ranked seventh, they would have been worth about +0.7. Six carries gained 10 yards or more and 10 gained three or fewer, and that is the whole shape of it. It was also a second-half run game: eight rush plays for 49 yards before halftime, 17 for a hundred 17 after it. The longest of them was a 20-yard run around right end with seven oh seven left in the third quarter, down to the New York 11, and the touchdown came on the next snap.

The defense is the number to take away from this game. 34 New York pass plays were worth −17.6 expected points — on defense a negative number is the good direction — second of the 32 teams this week by the per-play rate, behind only Carolina, and third in total. A hundred 31 passing yards allowed was second-fewest in Week 2, behind Seattle. No touchdowns allowed through the air. 29 percent of those plays were successful against this defense. At the rate the Rams defended the pass last season, when they ranked tenth, those 34 plays would have been worth about −2 and a half. This was seven times that.

The run defense did the same thing from the other side. 21 Giants rush plays gained 52 yards, second-fewest allowed in Week 2 behind Tampa Bay, and were worth −6 expected points, eighth per play. Not one New York carry reached 10 yards, and 15 of the 21 gained three or fewer. Last season this run defense ranked twelfth; at that rate the same 21 carries would have been worth about −0.9. Put the two halves together and Los Angeles allowed a hundred 83 total yards, second-fewest of the 32 teams this week. On third down the defense got 11 stops in 14, third-best in Week 2, and it allowed New York four snaps inside the 20 and no touchdowns on them.

Then there is the part the Rams got away with. They lost two turnovers two and a half minutes apart in the second quarter, both to the same defender. Second and five from the Los Angeles 26 with five 37 left, Stafford threw deep left for Adams and Jevon Holland intercepted it at the New York 29. Two possessions later, first and 10 from the Los Angeles six, Williams ran up the middle for five and Holland took the ball away at the 11 — −5.3 expected points, the worst snap of the night for either team. New York gained no yards of its own from there and kicked a 24-yard field goal. Mevis then missed from 43, wide left, with two seconds left in the half. The Rams still went to the break up 14 to three.

The drive chart is why the margin held anyway. 11 drives: four touchdowns, three punts, two turnovers, a missed field goal and the kneel-downs. One three-and-out, tied for the third-fewest in Week 2. Six snaps inside the 20 produced three touchdowns, the best rate in the league this week alongside Cincinnati and the Chargers. Third down went five for eight, 63 percent, fourth of the 32 teams this week, and two of them came on third and one, both converted.

For anyone new to this show, here is where that sits. Last season Los Angeles went 12 five with the third-ranked passing game and the seventh-ranked run game by expected points per play, a pass defense that ranked tenth and a run defense twelfth. Week 1 was a 27 to seven loss to San Francisco on a Thursday night in which the passing game ranked 20-ninth of 32, the run game 20-eighth, third down went two for nine and the defense allowed 379 yards. Week 2 turned over nearly all of it. The passing game went from 20-ninth to third, third down from 22 percent to 63, and the yards allowed from 379 to a hundred 83. Two games do not settle which of those is the team. The one thing that did not change is the giveaways: two last week, two this week.

Los Angeles goes to Denver next Sunday night. The Broncos went three-and-out once this week, tied for the third-fewest in Week 2 — the same as the Rams.

That's your Rams — every game, by the numbers. This is Muffed: we do the same deep dive for all 32 teams. Follow the Rams show wherever you're listening, so next week's recap lands the moment it's out. No theater. Just the football.

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_Data via nflverse._