Puka Nacua stuns NFL by outshining all other WRs despite fewer games

The Los Angeles Rams have earned a playoff berth in each of the past three seasons. While fans can point to any number of players who have made the difference between competing in the postseason and not, one undeniable contributor to this wave of success is wide receiver Puka Nacua. And the statistics back that up.

Despite hearing his name called on Day 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft, this former Brigham Young University standout has demolished defenses since Day 1 of his NFL career. And his accolades keep coming, as he has been honored as Pro Football Focus' 2026 Offensive Player of the Year. He was the obvious choice, as he had a record-setting season per PFF stats.

Like many elite offensive contributors, Nacua is flourishing in LA's offense because he is custom-built to deliver what the team needs from him. He is the fearless receiver who may not create separation margins for every quarterback's taste. But he suits veteran Mathew Stafford just fine.

Which quarterback would avoid throwing to a guy who catches nearly 78 percent of his passes?

Puka Nacua continues to improve in this offense

The team showed immense confidence in Nacua when it willingly parted ways with former star receiver Cooper Kupp. By doing so, the team committed to Nacua as the front-running receiver. But the team added separation specialist Davante Adams to give the offense a different set of skills to throw at defensive secondaries.

Rather than see the move in a negative light, Nacua immediately took to learning from the sage Adams, enhancing his prowess in the process. That willingness to sync up has allowed Nacua to handle the workload moving up and down the field, while Adams handles the red zone tasks.

The duo has combined for over 2500 receiving yards and 24 receiving touchdowns. Better still, the pair accomplished that despite combining to miss four games this season. That's something few NFL analysts acknowledge.

Yes, Los Angeles must play their Wild Card Round game on the road. But with Puka Nacua playing, the offense should be able to move the football and score points as it has all season long. And if defenses commit to stopping Nacua, the offense has multiple weapons who can carry the load.

The team has gotten plenty out of Puka Nacua this season, but expects to get much more. This is no longer a 17-game season. It's now a four-game sprint to the Super Bowl. That race begins now.

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