The Los Angeles Rams had one of the most surprising performances in Week 1 as they dominated the Seattle Seahawks on the road 30-13. With star wide receiver Cooper Kupp on injured reserve, many wondered where the Rams would generate offense, but they had a pair of players step in Tutu Atwell and rookie Puka Nacua.
The Rams had been praising Nacua throughout training camp, but no one could have foreseen just how big of a debut game he would have. The rookie hauled in 10 catches on a ridiculous 15 targets, finishing with 119 yards and many are anticipating how his encore performance will turn out when the Rams host the San Francisco 49ers, who boast perhaps the best defense in the NFL.
But we may have to wait on that next performance as Nacua has suffered an oblique injury and missed practice because of it, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter:
Rams’ WR Puka Nacua did not practice today due to an oblique injury..
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 14, 2023
It is very possible that the Rams are simply being cautious with their prized rookie and would rather play things safe in order to ensure he will be available on Sunday. Even still, Nacua popping up on the injury report and missing practice is cause for concern for a team that is already missing its top offensive playmaker.
No one could have predicted the debut that Nacua had in Week 1 and many are already envisioning the potency of the Rams offense when they get back to full strength. Unfortunately that has been the issue for the team over the past couple of seasons and they can ill afford to have more players go down to injury, especially one as talented as Nacua.
The rookie receiver had one of the best rookie debuts this season and his star is quickly growing in Los Angeles. Matthew Stafford obviously has a lot of trust in him and Nacua showed off why with his performance in Seattle, but things will be different in Week 2.
Last week, the 49ers dominated the Pittsburgh Steelers, holding them to just 239 yards and forcing a pair of turnovers. Considered one of the Super Bowl favorites, the Rams will need to be firing on all cylinders in order to challenge their division rivals and Nacua is obviously a big part of that. Should he be unable to go, look for Atwell, Van Jefferson and tight end Tyler Higbee to see an uptick in targets.
