Sean McVay is still turning over the final offensive snap from Sunday’s 20-13 win over the Washington Commanders, and the Rams coach didn’t hide where his mind went on Monday.
With Los Angeles up seven points and trying to close out the game, Puka Nacua took a late jet sweep on third-and-11 from the Rams’ 49-yard line. Nacua picked up five yards before Jeremy Reaves and Sonny Styles finished the play, and the Rams eventually punted with 52 seconds left. Washington had already burned its final timeout, but the sequence left McVay wondering if another call might have kept his star receiver out of harm’s way.
“I'm kicking myself about those kinds of things,” McVay said Monday while reflecting on the decision.
McVay said he had gone back and forth on whether a different play could have gotten the first down without putting Nacua in position to take the hit. He also pointed to the balance coaches have to strike between protecting players and putting them in spots where they can make the plays the team needs.
The injury came after Nacua had already carried the Rams’ offense for much of the afternoon. He finished with 14 catches on 19 targets for 150 yards and a touchdown, plus 20 rushing yards on two carries. One of those runs, a 15-yarder, came earlier in the fourth quarter.
McVay said Nacua suffered MCL and PCL sprains along with turf toe, and the Rams are bracing for a stint on injured reserve.
“It's a strong chance that we put him on IR,” McVay said of Nacua’s expected recovery. “So we're thinking it's going to be at least a month.”
Through seven games this season, Nacua has 70 receptions for 715 yards and four touchdowns. Over the last two games alone, he has racked up 25 catches for 230 yards.
The Rams moved to 5-4 with their third straight victory, but the possible loss of Nacua adds another big hit to an offense already dealing with Davante Adams being on injured reserve.
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