Giants 6, Rams 28 — Week 2: Zero Touchdowns on Ten Drives

Third and seven at the Los Angeles 18, six 31 left in the second quarter, down 14 to nothing. The Giants had moved 48 yards in eight plays, including a fourth and one at the 22 that Jameis Winston pushed forward for a yard and the Rams challenged and lost. Winston threw deep middle for Malik Nabers, and Trent McDuffie intercepted it in the end zone and brought it out 22 yards. 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 New York's worst play of the night at −4.6, and it cost nearly seven points of win probability. The Giants lost 28 to six in Los Angeles on Monday night, and they never led.

10 drives, no touchdowns. Two field goals, one interception, one turnover on downs and six punts. Four snaps inside the Rams 20 produced no touchdowns, which puts New York among the eight teams in Week 2 that did not score a touchdown from inside the 20 at all. The game was tied for about 15 minutes, all of it in the first quarter, and the win probability model never had New York above 54 percent.

The passing game is where the night was decided. 34 pass plays were worth −17.6 expected points, 30-first of the 32 teams this week by the per-play rate — only Atlanta was worse — and thirtieth in total. At the rate this offense passed last season, when it ranked eighteenth, those same 34 plays would have been worth about −0.3. A hundred 31 passing yards was fewer than any team in Week 2 except Arizona. 29 percent of those plays were successful, meaning they kept the offense on schedule, thirtieth of 32 this week. There were no passing touchdowns and two sacks taken. Jaxson Dart was injured on an incomplete deep left throw on third and eight with 11 28 left in the first quarter, and Winston played the rest of it. New York's longest completion of the night was 33 yards, Winston deep left to Mooney on second and eight in the second quarter, and it did not lead to points.

Third down is the same story told shorter. Three conversions in 14 tries, 21 percent, thirtieth of the 32 teams this week — only Pittsburgh and Green Bay converted less often. Two of the three came in the first quarter. When the distance was seven yards or more, New York went one for 10, and that one was third and eight at the Los Angeles 49 in the third quarter, a 15-yard throw to Mooney that ended four snaps later in a 52-yard field goal.

The run game opens on volume, because there was not much of it. 21 rush plays for 52 yards; only Cleveland ran for fewer in Week 2. Nothing gained 10 yards. 15 of the 21 gained three or fewer. 24 percent were successful, 20-ninth of 32 this week and tied with Cleveland, and the total came to −6 expected points. Last season this was the fifth-ranked run game by expected points per play, and at that rate the same 21 carries would have been worth about +0.7. The clearest look at it came after the Giants recovered a fumble at the Rams 11 late in the second quarter. An offside penalty gave them five yards, and then they gained none of their own: no gain up the middle, three yards to the three, and on third and two a run up the middle for −3. Zvada kicked from 24 yards out.

The defense gave up four touchdown passes, and the number underneath that is 31 pass plays worth +18.5 expected points. On defense a positive number is the bad direction, and that was thirtieth of the 32 teams this week — only Arizona and Miami allowed more per play. At the rate this pass defense allowed last season, when it ranked sixteenth, those 31 plays would have been worth about +0.9. 58 percent of them were successful. Only Cincinnati and Indianapolis allowed more passing yards in Week 2 than the 327 this defense gave up. Two snaps did the most damage: second and 14 from the New York 31 with 19 seconds left in the first quarter, Stafford to Adams for the touchdown, and then third and 10 from the Los Angeles 22 with 12 50 left in the half, Stafford deep right to Adams for 64 yards to the Giants 14. That second one was the biggest play of the night by win probability, worth more than nine points of it, and three snaps later Los Angeles scored again.

The run defense is the honest complication. A hundred 66 rushing yards allowed was more than all but two teams in Week 2, and six Rams carries gained 10 yards or more. But 25 rush plays came to −2.2 expected points, nineteenth of 32 this week, and last season this was the 30-second-ranked run defense by expected points per play — at that rate the same 25 carries would have been worth about +4.2. It held up when the game was close and stopped holding up after: eight Los Angeles rush plays for 49 yards in the first half, 17 for a hundred 17 after it. On third down the defense got three stops in eight, 20-ninth of 32 this week.

What the defense did win was the turnover column. New York forced two and lost one, and the two came two and a half minutes apart in the second quarter: Jevon Holland intercepted Stafford at the Giants 29, then Holland forced and recovered a fumble at the Los Angeles 11. That fumble was the Rams' worst play of the game by expected points, −5.3. Two takeaways tied the Giants with four other teams for the third-most in Week 2. They turned into three points.

For anyone new to this show, here is where that sits. Last season the Giants went four and 13 with a passing game that ranked eighteenth and a run game that ranked fifth by expected points per play, a pass defense sixteenth and a run defense last in the league. Week 1 was a 28 to 20 home win over Dallas on Sunday night in which the passing game ranked second of 32, third down went nine for 10 — the best conversion rate in the league that week — and the defense allowed 244 yards, third-fewest. Week 2 reversed the offense and repeated the defense. The passing game went from second to 30-first; third down went from 90 percent to 21. The pass defense was 20-sixth in Week 1 and thirtieth in Week 2, and the yards allowed went from 244 to 493. Two games do not settle which of those offenses is real. But both defensive weeks point the same way.

New York hosts Tennessee next Sunday. The Titans forced two turnovers this week, tied with the Giants and three others for the third-most in Week 2.

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_Data via nflverse._