Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua went on a tear to open up the 2025 season, leading the NFL in receptions and yards for the first few weeks before slowing down to injuries.
Nacua was forced to miss the Rams’ win in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars due to an ankle injury, but it wound up being a blessing in disguise for head coach Sean McVay and the rest of the offense. Not only did Matthew Stafford and Davante Adams get a chance to work on their rapport, but McVay utilized more 13 personnel groupings that raised the offense to another level.
The three tight end formation has allowed McVay to run and pass even more explosively than ever before, though it comes at the cost of Nacua’s targets. Adams is typically the lone receiver in 13 personnel, leaving Nacua to cheer on the sidelines.
According to Cameron DaSilva of USA Today, Nacua acknowledges 13 personnel has eased his workload but he’s happy to see his teammates playing well:
“Yeah, definitely on that. I feel like I spend a little more time on the sidelines but I love watching our boys. Our tight end group is playing so well as a unit and seeing them go out there and mash people. Me and Jordan Whittington, we kind of named ourselves the Bash Bros. We haven’t come up with a name for them but I know they go out there and when people line up, they’re like, ‘You’re about to get mauled.’ We’ve got a good group of guys out there that play the game physically correct and I enjoy that part of it. So I do feel like it’s nice because I’m like, I go down on third down and I’m like, I know this is an opportunity to make plays and keep our drives going. I worked on some first-down celebrations so it’s given me a little extra free time on my hands.”
The 13 personnel formations typically features the trio of Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen, though Terrance Ferguson has started to see more snaps as of late. The first three are great at blocking, while Ferguson represents the most upside from a pass-catching standpoint.
McVay’s offensive schemes thrive on deception, so having a tight end room capable of doing multiple things makes it even harder on opposing defenses. While Nacua can still take over a game when needed, he’s quickly finding out that the offense can operate just fine without him too.
Puka Nacua believes Davante Adams is unstoppable in red zone
Aside from 13 personnel, Davante Adams has also lightened the load for Puka Nacua. Adams has become the preferred red zone target and Nacua believes his co-star is unstoppable when the Rams get that close to scoring.
