Puka Nacua for ROY

[odanny]

in a QB driven league, I don't think he wins it, but he should. It will go to CJ Stroud, but Nacua, if he keeps this up, will have to be seriously considered for his record breaking season.

Most games with 150+ yards yards from scrimmage in Super Bowl era:

Puka Nacua- 4 - (2023)
Randy Moss- 3 - (1998)
Ja'Marr Chase- 3 - (2021)

 

[odanny]

INGLEWOOD, Calif — There weren’t many people out there left for rookie receiver Puka Nacua to surprise, but he blew the doors off his prime-time moment anyway.

Nacua, who finished the Los Angeles Rams’ 30-22 win Thursday night against the New Orleans Saints with a career-high 164 receiving yards (180 total scrimmage yards), is now just 146 yards away from matching Bill Groman’s all-time rookie receiving record (1,473 yards). Nacua is squarely in the Offensive Rookie of the Year conversation, or he should and likely will be because any pundit with a pulse was watching him jet-sweep around defensive linemen and shake off defensive backs and stretch for catches and block down on safeties in the run game all night.

“He’s outstanding,” coach Sean McVay said after the game. “I could not be more grateful for the contributions … you guys have seen it week in and week out. You talk about that (run/pass) balance, you can’t have that balance if you don’t have receivers who are willing to dig out support and do some of the things that he does. You see around the league, (Houston Texans quarterback C.J.) Stroud has had a great year, but this guy … he would get my vote. He’s really special.

“But the best part about him is, he doesn’t worry about those things. He worries about being a great teammate.”

That the 164 receiving yards and a touchdown — the latter of which was on the Rams’ game-opening fourth-and-goal from the 2 — is just a yard better than Nacua’s Week 4 game against the Colts, or just 10 yards better than his Week 7 game against the Steelers is a reminder that Nacua has been doing this all … dang … year … whether people were watching the games the entire time, or still cracking jokes about the general anonymity of the Rams’ 2023 roster.

The fact is, the Rams went from a team nobody knew to a team nobody wants to play.

Memorable moments for Nacua on Thursday night included a 17-yard catch on third-and-6 on the Rams’ 14-play, 95-yard opening drive. He added a 28-yard catch in the second quarter, 10 yards of which came after the catch, and a 41-yarder in the third. Nacua accounted for six of the Rams’ 10 most productive plays.

He is also growing in the little details each week. He went from the zone-beating first read of Matthew Stafford in an historically productive start to the season (filling in for longtime star Cooper Kupp) to a receiver who has moves — like, NFL moves such as long speed on vertical routes or the little shoulder shakes and ankle-breaking pivots that help shake and spin around defenders for more yards after the catch. A third-and-1 that gained 29 yards down the sideline, 19 of which were with the ball in Nacua’s hands, showed how far he has come in just a short time (and from an already impressive start).

The Rams have a 72 percent shot at the playoffs now, according to the New York Times tracker. Nacua is a huge reason for that, but not just because of his production. He also embodies an energy so many Rams players on this roster also carry, young or old. They are present. They are too focused on the work at hand — “work works,” McVay says, as I wrote earlier this year — to go anywhere but forward, because that is where their collective growth is carrying them. Some of them don’t know any better than to be wholly present. Some, like McVay and even Stafford, have re-discovered that as “grizzled” veterans.

“I’m taking (steps) right there with them,” Stafford said. “Every year is a building process. Sometimes you do it different than other years. This year is different than all the other years I’ve played. But it’s fun to go to work with these guys, (and) fun to watch everyone come together, pull for each other, work hard.”

Puka Nacua shows why he's in Offensive ROY conversation in prime time as Rams keep rolling

Puka Nacua did it all for the Rams in their win against the Saints on Thursday. "He's really special," coach Sean McVay said.

theathletic.com

 

[Nate99]

Look out for the Rams if they make the playoffs. They've got some good young talent.

 

[odanny]

Look out for the Rams if they make the playoffs. They've got some good young talent.

Rams pass secondary looks pretty weak, so Stafford will have to win in a shootout. Play the over.

 

[Opie]

It will be close between him and Stroud but I see Nacua nudging him out for the ROY

 

[Winco]

It will be close between him and Stroud but I see Nacua nudging him out for the ROY

Let's play the NFL gamesmanship, shall we.

Stroud....QB...Lead his Team to the Playoffs....did I mention he's a QB.
Nacua...WR....Was part of a team that made the Playoffs, led by QB Stafford.

Great Season by both.

Edge...... Stroud.
In a 'landslide.

 

[MarathonMike]

Houston Texans were 3-13-1 in 2022 before Stroud and 10-7 in 2023 with Stroud. Nacua had a great year but it's not even close for ROY.

 

[Couchpotato]

INGLEWOOD, Calif — There weren’t many people out there left for rookie receiver Puka Nacua to surprise, but he blew the doors off his prime-time moment anyway.

Nacua, who finished the Los Angeles Rams’ 30-22 win Thursday night against the New Orleans Saints with a career-high 164 receiving yards (180 total scrimmage yards), is now just 146 yards away from matching Bill Groman’s all-time rookie receiving record (1,473 yards). Nacua is squarely in the Offensive Rookie of the Year conversation, or he should and likely will be because any pundit with a pulse was watching him jet-sweep around defensive linemen and shake off defensive backs and stretch for catches and block down on safeties in the run game all night.

“He’s outstanding,” coach Sean McVay said after the game. “I could not be more grateful for the contributions … you guys have seen it week in and week out. You talk about that (run/pass) balance, you can’t have that balance if you don’t have receivers who are willing to dig out support and do some of the things that he does. You see around the league, (Houston Texans quarterback C.J.) Stroud has had a great year, but this guy … he would get my vote. He’s really special.

“But the best part about him is, he doesn’t worry about those things. He worries about being a great teammate.”

That the 164 receiving yards and a touchdown — the latter of which was on the Rams’ game-opening fourth-and-goal from the 2 — is just a yard better than Nacua’s Week 4 game against the Colts, or just 10 yards better than his Week 7 game against the Steelers is a reminder that Nacua has been doing this all … dang … year … whether people were watching the games the entire time, or still cracking jokes about the general anonymity of the Rams’ 2023 roster.

The fact is, the Rams went from a team nobody knew to a team nobody wants to play.

Memorable moments for Nacua on Thursday night included a 17-yard catch on third-and-6 on the Rams’ 14-play, 95-yard opening drive. He added a 28-yard catch in the second quarter, 10 yards of which came after the catch, and a 41-yarder in the third. Nacua accounted for six of the Rams’ 10 most productive plays.

He is also growing in the little details each week. He went from the zone-beating first read of Matthew Stafford in an historically productive start to the season (filling in for longtime star Cooper Kupp) to a receiver who has moves — like, NFL moves such as long speed on vertical routes or the little shoulder shakes and ankle-breaking pivots that help shake and spin around defenders for more yards after the catch. A third-and-1 that gained 29 yards down the sideline, 19 of which were with the ball in Nacua’s hands, showed how far he has come in just a short time (and from an already impressive start).

The Rams have a 72 percent shot at the playoffs now, according to the New York Times tracker. Nacua is a huge reason for that, but not just because of his production. He also embodies an energy so many Rams players on this roster also carry, young or old. They are present. They are too focused on the work at hand — “work works,” McVay says, as I wrote earlier this year — to go anywhere but forward, because that is where their collective growth is carrying them. Some of them don’t know any better than to be wholly present. Some, like McVay and even Stafford, have re-discovered that as “grizzled” veterans.

“I’m taking (steps) right there with them,” Stafford said. “Every year is a building process. Sometimes you do it different than other years. This year is different than all the other years I’ve played. But it’s fun to go to work with these guys, (and) fun to watch everyone come together, pull for each other, work hard.”

Puka Nacua shows why he's in Offensive ROY conversation in prime time as Rams keep rolling

Puka Nacua did it all for the Rams in their win against the Saints on Thursday. "He's really special," coach Sean McVay said.

theathletic.com

Stroud had the best rookie season for a QB ever. He also just lead his team to a PO blowout against what many said was the best defense in football. The Texans were a 3 win team last year and a 4 win team in 2021, the Rams won the SB 2 years ago. Stroud is in the top 10 at the most important position in the game. He will win ROY. Any other year Puka probably wins it, but not this year.

 

[odanny]

In a playoff game 2 days ago, Nacua goes 9-181-1, that is an average of 20 yards a catch, on the road, in the playoffs, as a rookie.

As far as that vaunted Cleveland defense that Stroud torched, they were dead last in the league in redzone scoring defense, they give it up like a cheap whore on dollar day.

 

[Couchpotato]

In a playoff game 2 days ago, Nacua goes 9-181-1, that is an average of 20 yards a catch, on the road, in the playoffs, as a rookie.

As far as that vaunted Cleveland defense that Stroud torched, they were dead last in the league in redzone scoring defense, they give it up like a cheap whore on dollar day.

QB>WR

 

[Couchpotato]

In a playoff game 2 days ago, Nacua goes 9-181-1, that is an average of 20 yards a catch, on the road, in the playoffs, as a rookie.

As far as that vaunted Cleveland defense that Stroud torched, they were dead last in the league in redzone scoring defense, they give it up like a cheap whore on dollar day.

The Lions are in the bottom 3rd of Defenses.

2 of Strouds 3 passes were from outside the red zone. So you’re point is moot.

 

[Mr. Friscus]

In a playoff game 2 days ago, Nacua goes 9-181-1, that is an average of 20 yards a catch, on the road, in the playoffs, as a rookie.

As far as that vaunted Cleveland defense that Stroud torched, they were dead last in the league in redzone scoring defense, they give it up like a cheap whore on dollar day.

Cleveland’s defense was such a let down. They only got laced a few times this year, bad timing for it to be a playoff game. They had no answers and didn’t get pressure on the QB.

Even if Flacco doesn’t throw either of those crash and burn pick 6’s, It’s a 90+% certainty we lose given how our defence was being exposed

 

[odanny]

Cleveland’s defense was such a let down. They only got laced a few times this year, bad timing for it to be a playoff game. They had no answers and didn’t get pressure on the QB.

They were only a good defense at home, on the road they sucked all year.

 

[Failzero]

Stroud is the next Mahhomes

 

[Couchpotato]

They were only a good defense at home, on the road they sucked all year.

And the Lions defense wasn’t good home or away.

 

[Mr. Friscus]

Stroud is the next Mahhomes

Hold onto your panties there moist boy…

 

[Couchpotato]

Stroud is the next Mahhomes

We should wait and see on that one. Mahomes has 2 MVPs 2 SB wins and 2 SB MVPs.

 

[Mr. Friscus]

We should wait and see on that one. Mahomes has 2 MVPs 2 SB wins and 2 SB MVPs.

The ability of sports fans to jump to gigantic proclamations based on a small sample size never ceases to amaze me

 

[Failzero]

The ability of sports fans to jump to gigantic proclamations based on a small sample size never ceases to amaze me

And to cling to glimmers of hope ( The Denver QB from Seattle ) ( The Saints QB from Las Vegas ) ( Dak Dynasty ) ...

 

[Couchpotato]

And to cling to glimmers of hope ( The Denver QB from Seattle ) ( The Saints QB from Las Vegas ) ( Dak Dynasty ) ...

Seattle fleeced Denver. Carroll hid Russ’s issues.

Are the problems in NO because of Carr or does the team just suck? I didn’t see them play this year

Dak Dynasty? Never heard that one before.