During Cooper Kupp’s absence this season, Matthew Stafford quickly found a favorite receiver to fill the void. He’s leaned heavily on fifth-round rookie Puka Nacua, who leads the NFL with 39 receptions and ranks second with 501 yards through four games.
It was also Nacua who caught the game-winning touchdown pass from Stafford on Sunday afternoon to beat the Colts in overtime, his first career touchdown in the NFL. No one should be surprised that Stafford entrusted his standout rookie on the biggest play of the game, and it’s hardly shocking that Nacua delivered in a big way.
Afterwards, Stafford talked to Albert Breer about how good Nacua is, even seeing similarities to Kupp in the way he plays and his physical abilities.
“Yeah, I think [they’re both] just big, physical, friendly targets for the quarterback,” Stafford said, via SI.com. “He does a great job after the catch, similar to what Cooper does. Both of those guys are just really physical players at the receiver position. For every catch and run he’s got, there’s three or four blocks on tape where he’s wiping a nickel off the screen and our guys are running off of that. It’s a total-package player and it’s fun to be working with him.”
Stafford is the oldest player on this inexperienced Rams roster, but he hasn’t had any trouble connecting with his younger teammates – including Tutu Atwell. Stafford called it “a fun team to be a part of because guys are enjoying that opportunity,” and he says he’s having a blast himself, too.
This offense could look a bit different when Kupp returns, but in a good way. Having the 2021 Offensive Player of the Year on the field with the NFL’s current receptions leader is a recipe for success, especially with how frequently they both get open. And after the catch, Kupp and Nacua are both elusive and tough to get on the ground, using their 6-foot-2 frames and impressive agility to avoid defenders and pick up valuable yards in the open field.
Stafford shouldn’t have much trouble finding open receivers when Kupp returns, but when deciding who to target, it’ll be like picking his favorite kid: impossible, but there’s reall no wrong answer.
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