Giants' season-opening high comes crashing down as Jaxson Dart's knee injury overshadows Rams' blowout win

The New York Giants were riding high coming into Los Angeles to face a frustrated Rams team that returned home from a beatdown in Australia.

After defeating the Dallas Cowboys on their own home turf, the talk around the league after just one week was that the Giants could be a problem for the rest of the NFL in this John Harbaugh era.

But those giant expectations took a massive hit on "Monday Night Football" after quarterback Jaxson Dart was ruled out after a brutal hit led to a knee injury that now has the organization and fan base collectively waiting for MRI results with bated breath.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE Once Dart left the game, and Jameis Winston took over for the Giants, the offense that surprised the Cowboys last week with its ground-and-pound nature struggled to find its footing against a revitalized Rams defense—one that lacked Myles Garrett, but featured the return of future Hall of Fame defensive tackle Aaron Donald at SoFi Stadium.

Meanwhile, Matthew Stafford looked more like the reigning MVP in this game compared to Week 1, and with tons of time in the pocket, he dissected the Giants’ defense as the Rams cruised to a 28-6 victory to get its first of the new season.

THE CRAIG CARTON SHOW–UNFILTERED, UNAPOLOGETIC AND UNMISSABLE.

DOWNLOAD HIS DAILY PODCAST NOW! Now, things hang in the balance as the Giants await Dart’s MRI results, which should come on Tuesday.

Dart was clutching at his knee after getting sandwiched between two Rams defenders that beat the Giants’ tackles off the edge, and while airborne, video replay showed his leg shift in an awkward way.

Dart was able to walk off on his own power, and ESPN’s Jordan Raanan even reported during the game that he tried to let the coaching staff put him back in the game.

They refused to let him.

It's a good sign to see Dart’s fight to get back in the game, which could also showcase that his injury isn’t as severe as initially thought.

OutKick's Armando Salguero reported a possible MCL could be what Dart and the Giants are looking at, but in a Week 2 filled with key quarterback injuries, every party is just hoping the 2026 season isn't awash for the second-year signal caller out of Ole Miss.

If Dart is to miss time, this new Giants regime will be tested to keep their lofty expectations afloat because, after watching what occurred on both sides of the ball, there’s certainly work to do.

On offense, while it’s a tough task for any backup quarterback to take over on a moment’s notice, the run game that worked so well in Week 1 was non-existent this time around.