A calf injury at the worst moment
Puka Nacua picked up a calf injury in Thursday’s practice, and the Rams still can’t say whether their top receiver will play Sunday in Las Vegas. NFL Network reported earlier today that the injury isn’t expected to be serious. That is the good news. The rest is a shrug: his status is officially up in the air.
Sean McVay was due to speak to reporters Friday, so a clearer picture should arrive before the weekend. For a team sitting at 2-4, a cautious call is hardly unthinkable. The Raiders are 3-3 and beatable, but nobody in the Rams building wants to burn a healthy week on a hunch.
no renewal
Free for 2 weeks.
Thin at receiver, thinner without him
The timing stings because the room is already short. Davante Adams went on injured reserve earlier this week with a ruptured hamstring. Take Nacua off the field as well and the Rams offense looks very different from the one that opened the season.
Nacua, 25, has 37 catches for 417 yards and a touchdown through four appearances, plus a rushing score. He missed two games with a psoas injury, so this is not his first stretch on the sideline this year. Last season he led the league with 129 receptions and piled up 1,715 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns over 16 games, which tells you how much of the offense runs through him.
What to watch
Watch the injury report and McVay’s wording. A limited practice Friday would point toward a game-day decision. A full sit would send the Rams into Las Vegas with a depleted passing game and a losing record to fix.
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