NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - AUGUST 27: Taylor Lewan #77 of the Tennessee Titans before the person game against the Arizona Cardinals at Nissan Stadium on August 27, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images) Getty
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 11: Kyren Williams #23 of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the second quarter of the NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on September 11, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images) Getty
The Los Angeles Rams came into 2026 with enough star power to inspire Super Bowl expectations.
A prominent former NFL player went even further.
Three-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Taylor Lewan said before the season that he believed Los Angeles could go undefeated.
Nonetheless, one week was enough to change his mind.
"I'm jumping ship. I'm on Harbaugh. I'm on Dart. I'm on Skattebo," Lewan said Thursday on ESPN's "Get Up" , picking the New York Giants to beat the Rams in Week 2.
It's a sharp reversal after Los Angeles' 27-7 season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Australia. The Rams now return to SoFi Stadium for a Monday night matchup against a Giants team carrying a much different kind of momentum.
GettyNASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – AUGUST 27: Taylor Lewan #77 of the Tennessee Titans before the person game against the Arizona Cardinals at Nissan Stadium on August 27, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
Lewan's change of heart came with some self-deprecating humor. He acknowledged his preseason call that the Rams would run the table before explaining why he is buying into the Giants after one game.
New York opened the John Harbaugh era with a 28-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys . And the pieces Lewan highlighted were central to it.
Jaxson Dart completed 23 of 29 passes for 230 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions while adding 54 rushing yards. Giants.com noted that his 79.3% completion rate marked a career high. Cam Skattebo supplied 81 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries as New York piled up 165 yards on the ground.
Harbaugh praised Dart's accuracy and timing after the victory. But he also tried to keep the Week 1 result in perspective.
"How we played this last night will not win the game next Monday night," Harbaugh said , pointing to the improvement he expects before the trip to Los Angeles.
Lewan nevertheless saw enough to move his support from one side of Monday night's matchup to the other.
GettyMELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – SEPTEMBER 11: Kyren Williams #23 of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the second quarter of the NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on September 11, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
The Rams' opener offered considerably less to build on.
Matthew Stafford completed 15 of 25 passes for 155 yards and an interception against San Francisco . Los Angeles trailed 10-7 at halftime before the 49ers pulled away with 17 second-half points. The Rams also came away empty on a fourth-and-goal quarterback sneak from the 1-yard line in the third quarter, one of several missed opportunities in the loss.
Sean McVay said afterward that the Rams did not communicate well enough on either side of the ball. Their official game recap also showed the 49ers holding the ball for 33 minutes, 50 seconds. Los Angeles had possession for 26:10.
There were pieces the Rams can carry forward. Kyren Williams and Blake Corum combined for 95 rushing yards on 21 carries, and Puka Nacua caught five passes for 74 yards.
So, Week 2 is an early response spot for a team that has championship aspirations.
The Giants, meanwhile, showed in Week 1 that they are comfortable controlling the ball and leaning on a physical run game. Slowing Skattebo and forcing Dart into less comfortable down-and-distance situations could become a defining part of the matchup.
Lewan has abandoned his perfect-season prediction. On Monday night, the Rams get their first chance to make that switch look premature.
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