The Packers just got a major break before their Thanksgiving Eve trip to Los Angeles.
Puka Nacua is likely headed to injured reserve after suffering right MCL and PCL sprains along with turf toe, Rams coach Sean McVay said. The injury came on Los Angeles’ final offensive snap in its 20-13 win over the Washington Commanders, and it will keep the star receiver out for at least four games - including the matchup with Green Bay.
That changes the feel of the game immediately. Green Bay is set to face the Rams on the road in the NFL’s first-ever Thanksgiving Eve game, and now it won’t have to game-plan for one of the league’s most dangerous pass catchers.
Nacua’s production tells the story. Even after missing two weeks, he’s tied for third in the NFL with 70 receptions and is averaging 102.1 receiving yards per game, a mark topped only by the Seattle Seahawks’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the reigning Offensive Player of the Year. The Rams have leaned hard into Nacua’s workload all season, and without him, that entire passing structure looks very different.
Los Angeles is already dealing with other issues at receiver. Green Bay legend Davante Adams is out while recovering from a surgically repaired ruptured hamstring tendon, and tight end Terrance Ferguson is also questionable at best for Week 12 after a recent soft-tissue problem in practice. With Nacua sidelined, the Rams are suddenly thin everywhere they’d normally lean for answers.
That leaves a much different-looking offense for McVay. 2025 seventh-round pick Konata Mumpfield is the only other Rams wideout with at least 10 catches, so Green Bay should expect a heavy dose of Kyren Williams and Blake Corum instead.
The Packers, though, have their own injury concerns. Veteran running back Josh Jacobs probably won’t be available in Los Angeles after Matt LaFleur said he’ll undergo a procedure to repair his broken right ring finger.
Jacobs has handled the bulk of the backfield work since returning from the Commissioner’s Exempt list, but even with him in the lineup, Green Bay’s ground game hasn’t been especially efficient. He’s averaging 2.2 yards per carry on 36 attempts.
Still, his presence matters, and so does Nacua’s absence. With both teams likely chasing one of the NFC’s three Wild Card spots in crowded divisions, this game could carry real weight in the conference race and the Super Bowl LXI picture.
In Other News...
Packers-Vikings Suddenly Carries Bigger NFC Stakes Than Expected
The Week 10 meeting with Minnesota has taken on a little more weight than a typical division game for Green Bay, with the Packers listed as three-point favorites at FanDuel and the NFC playoff race still crowded. Both the North and West divisions have multiple teams fighting for limited postseason spots, so every result around this stretch of the schedule is starting to matter a little more than it did a month ago.
Minnesotas quarterback situation adds another layer to the matchup, with Kyler Murray dealing with a hamstring injury and his availability in doubt for the Packers game. If he cannot go, Carson Wentz would be the next man up, and Green Bay will be watching closely because the difference between facing a healthy starter and a backup can shape how much this game can swing the standings. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Are Stuck In A Division Race Unlike Anything The NFL Sees
The NFC North has turned into the kind of race that usually only exists on paper, with all four teams entering Week 10 sitting at least three games above .500. For Green Bay, the bigger picture is hard to ignore: the Packers are 6-3, right in the middle of a division where the Bears are 7-2, the Vikings are 6-1 and the Lions are 6-2, and every week seems to reshuffle the order without knocking anyone out of the hunt.
What makes it even more unusual is the pace the division is setting as a whole, with the NFC North piling up wins at a rate that has it tracking toward a historic finish. The Packers do not have the luxury of treating this like a normal division race, because the margin for error is tiny and the standard to keep up is unusually high, which is exactly why every game from here carries an outsized feel. [Read more 🡒]
Jordan Love Is Driving A Packers Surge That Feels Bigger Now
After a slow start, the Packers have settled into a run that looks a lot more like the team they expected to be, winning five of their last six and getting steadier play from Jordan Love along the way. His recent outings against the Patriots and Bears helped push the offense forward, with Christian Watson and Matthew Golden giving him more help at wide receiver and the whole operation starting to feel more coordinated.
What has stood out most inside the building is how Love has kept stacking solid days together, something Matt LaFleur has pointed to as a big reason for the turnaround. The Packers are still sorting out just how high this stretch can carry them, but the combination of a calmer quarterback, emerging targets and a more confident offense has changed the tone around the team in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]