Puka Nacua's return was supposed to give the Los Angeles Rams a puncher's chance to stay afloat in the NFC playoff race. On Sunday, the second-year receiver took it literally.
The Rams' star was ejected from the team's Week 9 contest against the Seattle Seahawks for throwing a punch at Tyrel Dodson. Seattle intercepted a pass from Matthew Stafford on the play with 27 seconds remaining in the first half. It's been a frustrating week for Nacua, who exited the game with just one catch for 11 yards on four targets.
Seattle would take advantage of the turnover, scoring a touchdown and taking a 13-3 lead into halftime. The Rams would go on to win, 26-20, in overtime to improve to 4-4. The Seahawks fell to 4-5. The NFC West is a tight race through Sunday, with the Rams trailing the division-leading Arizona Cardinals (5-4) by a half a game and the reigning NFC champion San Francisco 49ers also sitting at 4-4.
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The Rams are fairly thin at receiver without Nacua in the fold. With Jordan Whittington already sidelined, that leaves Los Angeles with just four healthy receivers for the second half of Sunday's contest. Cooper Kupp will handle most of the work, with Demarcus Robinson and Tutu Atwell playing more prominent roles. Tyler Johnson, who hasn't seen a lot of work in the passing game, should also get some looks with the lack of other available options.
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After a record-setting rookie season, Nacua's sophomore campaign has been disappointing. The receiver was playing in just his third game of the year on Sunday, largely thanks to a knee injury he aggravated in Week 1. Nacua was activated off IR in time to play in the team's Week 8 game against the Minnesota Vikings and delivered a big performance. He recorded seven catches for 106 yards, reminding fans what a healthy Nacua is capable of.
He will finish Week 9 with 11 catches for 141 yards in three games. That's a steep drop from the 105 catches and 1,486 yards he posted in 2023. Nacua hasn't scored a touchdown yet this season, something he did six times in his rookie year.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
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