The Los Angeles Rams got a feel-good bounce-back win on Monday Night Football over the Giants, cruising to a 28-6 victory at home. But one player was notably absent from that game: All-Pro Rams WR Puka Nacua. The 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year is dealing with a groin injury and was held out of the Rams’ Week 2 game, but there hasn’t been any official word on Nacua’s status for Week 3.
Los Angeles did just fine without Nacua in Week 2, putting up 481 yards of total offense and 28 points. Rams QB Matthew Stafford had 327 passing yards, with WR Davante Adams and TE Terrance Ferguson combining for much of that. But this offense is better with Nacua in it, and the Rams don’t want to test fate without him for long.
In Week 1 against the 49ers in Melbourne, Nacua had five receptions for 74 yards.
Los Angeles Rams HC Sean McVay on WR Puka Nacua’s Week 3 Status
On Thursday morning, McVay appeared on the ESPN Los Angeles radio show and was asked about Nacua’s injury status for Sunday. He didn’t exactly give a reassuring answer.
“We’ll see,” McVay said. “You know, he’s not making great progress. We’d love to welcome Puka back with open arms, but if [he’s not ready] I have a ton of confidence in the group that we will go with if he doesn’t go.”
All week, the message from the Rams has been that while Nacua’s Week 3 availability remains up in the air, they aren’t concerned about the potential he’ll miss extended time. McVay didn’t say Nacua was definitively out against the Broncos, but he didn’t sound optimistic, either.
What Will the Rams Do if Puka Nacua Can’t Go in Week 3?
Against the Giants, Adams came up big with eight catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns. But the Broncos are a different kind of test, with one of the best defenses in football. Specifically, Broncos All-Pro CB Pat Surtain II will be a problem.
With both Adams and Nacua in the lineup, Surtain can only cover one of them. That means the Rams can dictate matchups and scheme the other open almost at will, even though the rest of Denver’s secondary shouldn’t be taken lightly, either. But if Nacua is out, Surtain will shadow Adams, and it’ll be up to other weapons in the passing game to step up.
Ferguson could be relied on heavily. All summer, the Rams lauded his growth and anyone who watched Rams camp said he’d be third on the team in receiving this year (behind Nacua and Adams, of course). The second-year tight end out of Oregon could have a lot of responsibility on his plate Sunday night.
Rams WR Puka Nacua’s Week 3 Injury Status in Doubt: ‘Not Making Great Progress’