Monday Night Football: Aaron Donald returns as the 0-1 Rams host the 1-0 Giants, Puka Nacua reported out

Tonight's Monday Night Football game is the New York Giants (1-0) at the Los Angeles Rams (0-1), kicking off at 8:15 p.m. ET at SoFi Stadium on ESPN and ABC. It closes out Week 2, and it is one of the top Google searches in the US this evening for two reasons: Aaron Donald is back, and Puka Nacua probably is not.

Aaron Donald's first game in two seasons

Donald came out of retirement on Aug. 30 and signed a one-year deal with the Rams. He did not play or travel for the opener in Melbourne, Australia, and ESPN reported that tonight will be 981 days since his last NFL game. He is 35 and a three-time Defensive Player of the Year. CBS Sports reported he is expected to play around 30 snaps.

He returns without the teammate who helped lure him back. The Rams traded for Myles Garrett on June 1, but Garrett had arthroscopic knee surgery last week and is on injured reserve for at least four games, according to ESPN. Josaiah Stewart starts opposite Byron Young on the edge, the AP noted.

Nacua reported inactive

Nacua, who led the NFL with 129 catches last season, sat out practice Friday and Saturday with what the Rams listed as a hip injury and coach Sean McVay called groin soreness, ESPN reported. ESPN's injury report still listed him as questionable early this evening, but CBS Sports reported he has been ruled inactive. Jordan Whittington is doubtful with a quad injury, which leaves Davante Adams, Tutu Atwell, Konata Mumpfield and rookie CJ Daniels at receiver.

The Giants have injury problems of their own at cornerback. Paulson Adebo went on injured reserve this week and Deonte Banks is questionable with a calf injury. On the Rams side, safety Kamren Kinchens is out with a hamstring injury.

How each team got here

	Giants	Rams
Week 1	Beat Dallas 28-20	Lost to San Francisco 27-7
Quarterback	Jaxson Dart: 23 of 29, 230 yards, 3 TD	Matthew Stafford: 15 of 25, 155 yards, 1 INT
Leading rusher	Cam Skattebo: 18 carries, 81 yards, 1 TD	Blake Corum: 10 carries, 54 yards
Leading receiver	Isaiah Likely: 8 catches, 78 yards, 2 TD	Puka Nacua: 5 catches, 74 yards

Stats from ESPN's game data.

The Giants' opener under John Harbaugh was built on keeping the ball. CBS Sports counted 37 runs for 165 yards and 36 minutes, 40 seconds of possession, with all three second-half drives lasting 12 or more plays. The Rams, who led the league in yards and points last season, managed 290 total yards and two turnovers against the 49ers, per CBS Sports.

The line and the history

DraftKings has the Rams as 6.5-point favorites with a total of 47.5, according to ESPN, and ESPN's matchup predictor gives Los Angeles a 66.9% chance to win. The Rams lead the all-time series 30-17 and have won the last four meetings, the most recent a 26-25 win on Dec. 31, 2023, according to the AP preview. McVay is 4-0 against the Giants.

What to watch: whether Donald and the interior line can slow a Giants run game that controlled Dallas, and whether Stafford can find a rhythm without Nacua against a thin New York secondary. Follow it live on our NFL scores page, and see the rest of the week on the NFL schedule.

Sources: ESPN, the Associated Press via ESPN, CBS Sports. Injury statuses can change before kickoff.