Chairshot NFL News Report (9/22/2026): Stafford Shreds New York, Dart Hurts His Knee & Aaron Donald Returns

Matthew Stafford throws four touchdowns, Jaxson Dart suffers a knee injury and Aaron Donald returns as the Rams rout the Giants.

Los Angeles entered Monday night needing a response after getting embarrassed in Australia, and Matthew Stafford delivered one.

Stafford threw four touchdown passes, Davante Adams exploded for 195 receiving yards and Aaron Donald made his first NFL appearance since coming out of retirement as the Rams dismantled the Giants 28-6. New York’s concern goes well beyond the loss after quarterback Jaxson Dart left with a knee injury.

It’s the Chairshot NFL News Report for September 22, 2026!

Stafford Throws Four Touchdowns as Rams Rout Giants

Matthew Stafford completed 22 of 31 passes for 327 yards and four touchdowns as Los Angeles beat New York 28-6. The performance moved Stafford past Philip Rivers into sixth place on the NFL’s all-time touchdown-pass list with 427.

That was the response Los Angeles needed after the Week 1 loss to San Francisco. The Rams generated 481 total yards and consistently pushed the ball downfield despite playing without Puka Nacua.

Stafford did throw an interception, but the mistake never threatened the outcome. Los Angeles looked like an entirely different offense from the one that struggled through the opener.

Davante Adams Explodes Without Puka Nacua

Davante Adams caught eight passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns while Nacua sat out with hip and groin soreness. Adams scored from 31 yards in the first quarter and added another touchdown in the third as the Rams repeatedly attacked New York vertically.

That is exactly why Los Angeles wanted another proven receiving option. Losing Nacua would normally force an offense to redesign entire sections of the game plan, but Adams simply became the primary target and produced one of the biggest regular-season games of his career.

The Rams still want Nacua back as quickly as possible, but Monday demonstrated that they do not need to rush him simply because the passing game collapses without him.

Giants Fear an MCL Sprain for Jaxson Dart

Jaxson Dart left Monday’s loss after injuring his left knee in the first quarter, and the Giants fear he suffered an MCL sprain. X-rays were negative, but an MRI will determine the extent of the damage.

Dart completed three of five passes before the injury and was replaced by Jameis Winston, who went 11-of-27 for 111 yards with an interception. New York never reached the end zone after Dart departed.

The Giants are only 1-1, but the injury immediately becomes more important than the record. Dart is the quarterback around whom New York is building its future, and even a relatively short absence changes the direction of the next several weeks.

Aaron Donald Makes His Return

Aaron Donald played his first NFL game since the end of the 2023 season after coming out of retirement late last month. His return immediately strengthened a Rams front playing without injured edge rusher Myles Garrett, and Donald contributed a key third-down run stop as Los Angeles held New York to six points.

The Rams do not need Donald to look exactly like the player who retired two years ago for the comeback to matter. Simply requiring offenses to account for him changes protections and creates opportunities elsewhere.

Los Angeles still has not seen Donald and Garrett on the field together, but Monday gave the first real glimpse of what the defensive rebuild could eventually become.

Jayden Daniels Undergoes MRI on His Elbow

Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels underwent an MRI Monday after dislocating his left elbow during Sunday’s loss to Dallas. Daniels is not expected to play against Seattle in Week 3, with Marcus Mariota positioned to start.

The concern is amplified because Daniels dislocated the same elbow last season and missed seven of Washington’s final eight games. Initial X-rays showed no fracture, but the MRI is intended to determine whether there is ligament damage.

Washington can survive one game with Mariota. The much larger question is whether Daniels is facing another extended absence involving the same joint.

Caleb Williams Is Week-to-Week

Chicago described Caleb Williams as week-to-week with a Grade 1 hamstring strain suffered during Sunday’s 9-3 loss to Minnesota. Head coach Ben Johnson has not officially ruled Williams out of next Monday’s game against Philadelphia, but Tyson Bagent would start if Williams cannot play.

A Grade 1 diagnosis is considerably better than the knee injury initially feared when Williams went down without contact. The challenge is avoiding the temptation to treat “minor” as “ready.”

Quarterbacks can sometimes function through limitations that would sideline another position, but hamstrings affect mobility, throwing mechanics and protection from pressure. Chicago has more to lose by bringing him back one week too early than by giving Bagent a start.

Week 2 Final Scores

Monday’s result completed a week that included two overtime games, several quarterback injuries and convincing 2-0 starts from teams including Kansas City, San Francisco, Seattle, Minnesota and Cincinnati.

Thursday, September 17

• Buffalo Bills 41, Detroit Lions 31

Sunday, September 20

• Philadelphia Eagles 24, Tennessee Titans 20
• New England Patriots 20, Pittsburgh Steelers 3
• Minnesota Vikings 9, Chicago Bears 3
• Carolina Panthers 34, Atlanta Falcons 3
• Green Bay Packers 20, New York Jets 17 — OT
• New Orleans Saints 24, Baltimore Ravens 17
• Cincinnati Bengals 20, Houston Texans 6
• Cleveland Browns 23, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 19
• Denver Broncos 20, Jacksonville Jaguars 13
• Las Vegas Raiders 26, Los Angeles Chargers 14
• Seattle Seahawks 31, Arizona Cardinals 7
• San Francisco 49ers 35, Miami Dolphins 13
• Dallas Cowboys 37, Washington Commanders 20
• Kansas City Chiefs 33, Indianapolis Colts 30 — OT

Monday, September 21

• Los Angeles Rams 28, New York Giants 6

Week 2 ended by giving Los Angeles the correction it desperately needed. The Rams looked lost against San Francisco and then looked dangerous against New York only 11 days later, with Stafford and Adams producing exactly the kind of veteran performance the roster was built to deliver.

The larger league story remains quarterback health. Dart joined Daniels and Williams among young franchise quarterbacks dealing with significant injuries in the same weekend.

This report includes information from: Reuters.com, NFL.com, TheRams.com, ESPN.com, and official NFL game data.