Puka Nacua unexpectedly made his return to the field this week when he suited up against the Minnesota Vikings, helping lead the Los Angeles Rams to a much-needed win over a legitimate playoff contender. His seven-catch, 106-yard performance came after a walkthrough and one limited practice, catching one or two passes from Matthew Stafford in the days leading up to the game.
Sean McVay didn’t expect Nacua to play until the Rams’ head trainer told him he had a shot on Monday. But before the game even kicked off, he knew Nacua was truly back based on his routine on the field.
“There were a lot of moments,” McVay said Friday when asked when he knew Nacua was back. “I think the moment I realized ‘All right, this maniac is really back’ is when he just stands under the goalpost during our team warmups and just kind of goes back and forth. Nate Scheelhaase was kind of looking for him, I said, ‘Oh, hey, that let you know he’s ready to go, just leave him be.’ Really right away. I thought it was good to get that first little drop out of the way and then you get him a second touch on the second play of the game where he ends up catching the screen, breaking a tackle to get a first down. His energy, his passion, and his love for the game – this guy is an igniter in every sense of the word. It was awesome having him back out there. I love him.”
Nacua provided a major spark from the start, racking up 50 yards in the first quarter alone. Of his seven catches, six of them picked up a first down and went for at least 13 yards.
Though he didn’t score, he was the team’s leading receiver and helped the Rams put up a season-high 30 points. And he did all that without even playing a full share of snaps as he works his way back from a knee injury suffered in Week 1.