Puka Nacua, former BYU receiver and NFL rookie record holder, had a surprise return to the field on Thursday Night Football and helped the Los Angeles Rams (3-4) beat the Minnesota Vikings (5-2) 30-20.
Originally on the injured reserve list, Nacua was elevated off it Thursday morning and was set to return to the field for the first time since the season opener against the Detroit Lions where he re-injured the knee that was giving him problems in the preseason.
It was clear early that Nacua was not only healthy and ready to go, but that he was going to play hard and fearless.
With his first catch of the day, Nacua ran a curl route and got the ball quickly around the Ram’s own 30-yard line. From there, Nacua cut to the middle of the field and made a man miss as he not only got the first down, but barrelled his way through two purple jerseys as he was able to pick up about 7 yards after initial contact.
Not only did this moment highlight the importance of having the fifth-round draft pick on the field for the Rams offense to function, but it also showcased the tenacity and energy Nacua plays with all the time.
With Nacua’s catch, the Rams were able to move the chains for the first time. After that, LA was able to drive all the way to the end zone and score its first points on a Matthew Stafford pass to running back Kyren Williams to tie the game at 7-7.
In another critical play down late, LA was facing fourth-and-one. The Rams only had a 21-20 lead midway through the fourth quarter, but were in field goal range. However, head coach Sean McVay opted to go for it instead of attempting a field goal.
With the ball snapped, Stafford handed the ball off to Williams and he was able to run into the open space and pick up the first down thanks in part to Nacua’s block against Josh Mettellus. Mettellus arguably would have had the best chance at stopping Williams if not for Nacua’s block.
After converting that fourth down, L.A. continued driving and eventually had Demarcus Robinson receive his second touchdown on a 10-yard pass from Stafford. After this, Minnesota was never able to get another chance as its next two drives resulted in a punt and a controversial safety.
Nacua was the leading receiver in both yards and receptions as he hauled in seven receptions for 106 yards. This was the ninth time in his career that he surpassed the 100-yard mark.
This would already be seen as a pretty impressive performance considering Nacua was coming off an injury, but with this performance happening against a top defensive team like the Vikings, it makes the return that much sweeter both for Nacua and fans alike.
Nacua will look to continue building on his performance and will be seeking to get his first touchdown of the 2024-25 season.
Along with Nacua returning to the field, Cooper Kupp, offensive player of the year and Rams wide receiver, was also healthy enough to play. He was able to get five catches for 51 yards and a touchdown.
In week two, when Kupp injured his left ankle early in a blowout loss against the Cardinals, the Rams were left in a dire situation without its two best receivers on the team.
Without Nacua and Kupp, the Rams still remained competitive for the most part as it was able to get a comeback win against a divisional rival in the 49ers. However, the Rams managed to go only 1-2 since that win and were going to need to get some wins fast in order to stay in striking distance of the Seattle Seahawks, the current first place team in the NFC West.
With Kupp being the center of trade rumors all week, there was speculation that he may be shipped off to a wide receiver-needy team like the Pittsburgh Steelers if the Rams couldn't pull it together.
In fact, even Stafford trade rumors were beginning to circulate online. Nacua and Kupp coming back for this game was critical as a loss would have not only put the Rams at 2-5, but it could have put key players on the trading block.
However, rumors will be sure to die down after the Rams were able to recapture the look of last year’s playoff team in this win.
The Rams will need Nacua and Kupp to show out again as it faces a very important game next week on the road against the Seattle Seahawks (4-3). A win would be very big for the Rams as it would give Seattle an early disadvantage in its quest to win the division as it would bump the Seahawks down to a 0-2 division record.
It also would give the Rams both the current head-to-head tiebreaker over the Seahawks and its first .500 record of the season. The next time these teams would match up against each other is in the last week of the season, so there is added weight to this matchup.
The game will happen during the NFL’s Week 9 slate with Rams at Seahawks airing on FOX at 2:05 p.m. MDT.