Skip Bayless didn’t waste any time chiming in after Puka Nacua’s injury put the Los Angeles Rams in a tough spot.
With Nacua sidelined and Davante Adams already unavailable, Bayless posted on X that the Rams are staring at a difficult stretch.
“It’s hard to see the Rams hanging on for a month or so without Puka (and Davante). Now, Sean McVay will have to win with mostly defense - with Myles Garrett. If Puka isn't back by Dec. 20, the Cowboys' game at Rams won't seem nearly as scary.”
That last part is a long way off, though, and the bigger issue right now is how Los Angeles survives in the short term. Nacua’s absence is a major hit as the Rams try to stay in the race with the 49ers and Seahawks in the NFC West.
The injury happened on the Rams’ final offensive snap, when Nacua was brought down after a short run on third and 11. Sean McVay said he has replayed the decision in his head, and NBC Sports reported that the coach has second-guessed the call.
“I’d be lying to you if I said I haven’t questioned the decision-making on that last play over and over in my head of what could have been another option that you felt like could have gotten a conversion,” McVay said. “And maybe ended the game that would’ve led to him not taking a violent hit to his right knee. It’s stuff that I feel tremendous responsibility for, and we’ve got to be able to figure out how to protect these guys while also putting them in positions that help our team and allow them to be able to shine.
“He’s a guy we have to be intentional about because it’s a bummer. Because he can do so much, you want to make sure you don’t take that for granted.”
The Rams’ offense was already leaning heavily on Nacua, and the numbers make that obvious. Through seven games, he had 70 catches for 715 yards and four touchdowns.
Now the next man up is Tutu Atwell. Rams offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase said that’s the direction the team will go, according to theramswire.com.
“He's a guy who has shown up and had just that consistency with Matthew over the course of his career that I think Matthew has a lot of comfort with,” Scheelhaase said.
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