The Los Angeles Rams are preparing for a difficult road trip without one of their most important offensive pieces.
Star wide receiver Puka Nacua remains sidelined by the hip and groin issue that kept him out of Monday night’s 28-6 win over the New York Giants, and the latest word from around the league is not encouraging.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Thursday that Nacua does not appear to be making the kind of progress that would allow him to play Sunday night in Denver. The Rams, Rapoport said, intend to be cautious.
Head coach Sean McVay has already described the injury as more than simple soreness. While the medical staff has ruled out a hernia and does not consider it a long-term problem, McVay has compared the discomfort to the kind of warning sign that can precede more serious trouble. Time, he has said, is the best treatment.
That approach makes sense given how Nacua plays. His value comes from sudden cuts, yards after the catch, and a willingness to absorb contact.
Asking him to grind through limited mobility would undercut the very traits that made him the NFL’s reception leader a year ago, when he caught 129 passes for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns.
He opened this season with five catches for 74 yards against San Francisco before the injury surfaced after a midweek practice.
The Rams have already shown they can function without him.
Against the Giants, Davante Adams exploded for eight receptions, 195 yards and two scores.
Matthew Stafford threw for 327 yards and four touchdowns while spreading the ball to eight different targets, including rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson. Stafford later noted that the offense is at its best when everyone is involved.
Denver presents a steeper test. The Broncos ranked among the league’s stingiest defenses last season and feature two-time All-Pro corner Patrick Surtain II. Without Nacua drawing coverage, more attention will fall on Adams.
The schedule compounds the problem: a short week, a game at altitude, and another cross-country trip to Philadelphia the following week.
Los Angeles has Super Bowl ambitions. Sitting Nacua for one September night in Mile High is a modest price if it means he returns closer to full strength for the longer stretch of the season.
The Rams already proved they have other playmakers. The question now is whether they can keep winning while they wait for their most dynamic receiver to get healthy.
