LOS ANGELES — It was a simple enough out route. But with the Bills’ pass rush closing in, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford had to release it sooner than he wanted. To be safe, Stafford threw the ball high and toward the sideline. Not an easy ball for Puka Nacua to catch, but at least the defensive back trailing the receiver couldn’t make a play on it.
As out of reach as the pass looked, Nacua leapt and corralled it with his right hand, using his left to control it. And he had the presence of mind to tap both his toes down on green turf before he tumbled to the sidelines.
“The first thing I told [Cooper Kupp] was I was a little horny in my route, I cut early,” Nacua said. “I came out of my break thinking I was going to square the ball up and it ended up being a little bit over the shoulder. … As soon as I put my hand up, it almost stuck to my hand.”
It was a 19-yard gain, and a good example of the sure hands that Nacua has displayed in his second season.
In eight games, he has been targeted 75 times. Fifty-five of those have been deemed “catchable” balls, and Nacua has caught 54 of them, with just one drop.
“His hands and his ball skills are as good as anybody in this league,” Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said.
A year ago, Nacua led the NFL with 13 drops. It was a fact that he bemoaned in February at a season-ticket holder event, even as he wore a black leather jacket that celebrated all the rookie receiving records he broke in 2023. He said at the time that he didn’t want to ever lead the NFL in that category again.
He worked in the offseason catching tennis balls. But Nacua felt like the primary key was watching the ball into his hands, and trusting that Stafford would lead him in a safe direction. No more turning early to scout where the nearest tackler was coming from.
“I think there’s definitely still some moments of hesitancy while I’m out there on the football field,” Nacua said, “but definitely some of the improvements where I feel like being aware of the moment, the extra six inches it might be of being able to step back to the ball and the difference that may or may not make. But in the conscious effort to continue to do that has been something for me and I feel like it has impacted … the catch is never easy, but I can make it as easy as I can by the extra six inches of just extending.”
Related Articles
Rams waiting to see on Tyler Higbee’s status for 49ers
Rams WR Demarcus Robinson leaves Bills game with shoulder injury
Rams’ offense puts together explosive performance to top Bills
Rams’ offensive line looks to build for playoff stretch
Buffalo Bills at Rams: Who has the edge?
“Hesitancy” may seem like an odd word to describe any part of Nacua’s game; this is the receiver who says he prefers run blocking over pass catching, and has never met a defender he hasn’t wanted to run through.
But here, he’s talking about how he approaches the catch during intermediate routes, when the catch and turn upfield have to seem like one movement.
“Just trying to have a better feel and know when to take your moments of whether I’m going to go attack this ball or trust it, allow it to come into my body and direct me where the run after the catch may be,” Nacua said. “Matthew’s always doing a really good job so he makes it easy on me.”