Puka Nacua shakes off injury scare to instantly revive Rams’ lifeless offense

The last thing that Los Angeles Rams fans want to experience is an injury scare. But what fans want and what fans get are two different things. After all, fans wanted to see the team unleash the connection between veteran QB Matthew Stafford and WR Davante Adams. That has yet to take place. At the end of the first quarter, the main offensive weapon has been third-year wide receiver Puka Nacua.

Nacua is a 6-foot-2, 212-pound wideout who delivers a physical style of play. And that’s exactly what the offense wanted to establish early, as he hauled in three of four targets in the first quarter for 23 yards, accounting for more than 70 percent of the team’s receiving production so far. But Nacua headed to the locker room in the first half, but later returned to the game to assist on a Kyren Williams touchdown for the first Rams points of the season.

He had exited with blood dripping down his face, later solved with a patch. He looked like a warrior.

The Rams are struggling in this one. The offense looks out of sync. And the defense has yet to find its footing. Of course, with the Rams leading 7-6 in the second quarter, there hasn’t been much offense on either side. But the Rams have shot themselves in the foot, with Jordon Whittington already seeing over 100 yards wiped off the board due to careless penalties.

Rams open Week 1 without much offensive oomph

It’s a sloppy effort by LA, which is often the hallmark of a Week 1 performance. Fans held out hope for a healthy squad to show up and claim an early victory. That doesn’t seem to be in the cards. Starting LG Steve Avila (ankle) and TE Colby Parkinson also suffered injuries in this one, with Avila looking like the only one who won't come back into the game.

The Rams need a huge defensive effort in this one, as the offense has opened the season with very little going right. That’s the kind of storyline fans hoped to avoid this early in the season. They can't afford another slow start like last year.

Hopefully, the offense can regroup. Both Nacua and Parkinson have been cleared to return. Unfortunately, the same “meh” offensive production that closed out 2024 seems to have carried into 2025.

As always, thanks for reading.

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