Sean McVay just proved he doesn’t need Puka Nacua to torch defenses

There was certainly plenty of speculation over the Los Angeles Rams' offensive game plan heading into a Week 7 clash with a red-hot Jacksonville Jaguars team. Elite wide receiver Puka Nacua was ruled out for the game, which meant someone else would have to step up.

The questions that immediately came to mind among fans were who might that be? Veteran wide receiver Davante Adams made sense, as he is a seasoned veteran who is on track for the Hall-of-Fame. It may have been running back Kyren Williams, whose versatility as a universal offensive weapon positions him as the go-to guy in crunch time.

Coming into the game head coach Sean McVay had plenty of options to choose from to baffle the Jaguars' defense. But it was the using all of them that was impossibly impressive.

It takes a village to replace a player like Nacua, even with other stars on the team. That all but dictated how the Rams' offense would scheme for this one. The strategy was not to pivot to one player, but rather distribute the workload to several. And after the dust settled, it was the right move.

Sean McVay's offense is built to thrive without Puka Nacua, and that should terrify everyone

McVay's team pulled out all the stops, even going back to his coordinator days for inspiration. The 39-year-old was formerly the offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders. In that offense, he was a master strategist, involving tight ends in more prominent roles. So it was relatively easy for him to draw upon that knowledge to shock the Jags and the entire NFL with plays designed to feature tight ends.

Veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford is the engine of McVay's offense. Not only does he know the playbook and deliver in big games, but he acts like an extension of the staff to work out the rough spots during games. It's that self-directed communication and initiative that turned around his early connectivity problems with Adams.

When the clock hit 0:00, 10 players had caught a pass from the 37-year-old — some for the first time, and two for their first NFL touchdowns. It takes a special caliber of quarterback to spread the wealth and elevate the performance of his teammates.

His stat line starts rather benign. Adams caught five of eight targets for 35 yards. But 60 percent of those receptions resulted in touchdowns. Three touchdowns were enough to win this one. The veteran not only scored, but his single game heroics doubled his season's scoring totals. And his performance catapulted him to the team's leading scorer.

But Next Gen Stats broke down the three scores:

The timing and outcome of these touchdowns showcase that Adams is delivering exactly what the team sought. He has the instinctive ability to defeat press-man coverage, and he is finally in sync with his quarterback.

McVay may have abandoned his tight end–whisperer reputation since taking over as head coach in 2017, but he never lost his creativity or innovation with the position. He was simply waiting for the right opportunity to unleash his concepts on the NFL once more. Week 7 provided that opportunity.

More than half of the offensive snaps were run out of 13-personnel. To clarify, 13 personnel means the offense uses one running back and three tight ends. By default, that leaves just one wide receiver on the field.

Of 33 passes thrown in the game, 13 were targeted to tight ends, 16 to wide receivers, and four to running backs. Tight ends accounted for eight of the team’s 25 receptions, totaling 101 yards and one touchdown. The entire offense had 182 receiving yards, so it was a solid performance by the group.

Rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson flashed future star power with a 31-yard touchdown — his first NFL score. But the offense mixed things up well and never missed a Red Zone opportunity to cash in.

This was arguably the Rams’ best game of the season. While it remains to be seen how they perform out of the Week 8 bye, one thing is certain: entering the bye, this team is absolutely a contender.

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