The Los Angeles Rams have started the season well, thanks to this offense's performance. The passing game has been one of the biggest bright spots, thanks to Matthew Stafford under center and receivers out wide like Davante Adams and Puka Nacua. Nacua is on the verge of making history again after his massive game against the Colts last week.
Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua has been one of the best receivers in the NFL since joining the Rams, but this season, he is on a historic pace. ESPN senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler said that Nacua is the first receiver to record a minimum of 500 yards receiving through two different seasons.
Fowler posted on X: “Pretty incredible Puka Nacua stat: He's the first NFL player to record at least 500 receiving yards in his first four games in two seasons. Nacua did so in 2023 (501) and this year (503) (via ESPN Research).”
He has eight receptions and 101 yards more than the next-closest player, Seattle's Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Nacua leads the NFL in first downs, yards per route run, and explosive plays, basically everything except receiving touchdowns.
This is arguably an even better start to the year than Nacua's rookie season, and thanks to his continued development, he should look better than he did two years ago.
“His play style rubs off on everybody on our team, not just the offense,” quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “I think our defense looks at him like, ‘Shoot, we’ll ride with that guy all day.’”
Edge rusher Jared Verse was one of the defensive players who agreed with that sentiment.
“When I’m watching this dude, I see the ball up in the air and with most players, I’m like, ‘Damn, is he going to catch it?’” Verse said, adding. “Puka had a crazy catch on a Sunday, and I looked at [edge rusher Byron Young] like, ‘Yeah, bro, we can sit back down. It’s a first down. We’re good.’ You know he will make a play every chance he gets.”
