UPDATE: On Monday, head coach Sean McVay said the Nacua has a sprained PCL and will be placed on the IR. That means Nacua will be out for a minimum of four weeks.
With Nacua out, Cooper Kupp, Tyler Johnson and Demarcus Robinson should all see increased targets and playing time. On Sunday, Kupp ran 50 routes and received a career-high 21 targets, which he converted to 14 receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown.
Johnson ran 34 routes and received seven targets. He caught five for 79 yards. Robinson ran 47 routes, saw seven targets and hauled in four for 42 yards. – Stan Son
SEPTEMBER 9: Puka Nacua is not off to the start of the 2024 season that he desired.
After finishing last season second in Rookie of the Year voting, Nacua has goals of raising the bar in his second season. However, during the Rams’ first game of the 2024 season, Nacua aggravated a knee injury and missed most of the matchup. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Rams wide receiver is considered week to week and will continue to go through additional testing.
Nacua had tallied four receptions for 35 yards before leaving Sunday night’s game. He initially suffered the injury following a six-yard reception in the middle of the second quarter. The Rams star briefly returned to the contest toward the end of the first half but then was shown being carted to the locker room.
As referenced in Schefter’s report, Nacua has been battling knee issues dating back to training camp. He suffered an injury back on August 5th during a joint practice with the Los Angeles Chargers. Nacua was forced to miss several weeks of training camp before suiting up for the season opener.
This also marks the third consecutive season that the Rams have dealt with injuries at the wide receiver position. Cooper Kupp played just nine games in 2022 and started the season injured last year. This opened the door for Nacua to establish himself in the way that he did. The rookie from BYU made the most of his opportunity recording 105 receptions for 1486 yards and six touchdowns. Kupp looked to have returned to the prime version of himself and tallied 14 receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown in last night’s overtime loss.
For the Rams to reach their peak as a team, they will need both their star wide receivers on the field. They will look to bounce back from the loss this week against the Arizona Cardinals. Los Angeles enters as slight underdogs in the matchup at +1 on the spread and -105 on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. – Sean Barnard
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
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