When Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua jogged across the goal line in overtime against the Seahawks last week, he didn't just put six points on the board at a critical junction in the season. He also picked up his 573rd receiving yard over a three-game span, something nobody else had done in over a decade.
Since 1999, only two players have ever topped that – and one of them did it with Nacua's quarterback, Matthew Stafford, 12 years earlier. He also became the second player in NFL history with at least 150 receiving yards in three-consecutive games.
Nacua accumulated 28 receptions for 573 yards and four touchdowns in Weeks 14-16. In the midst of one of the most efficient wide receiver seasons in recent memory, this stretch was a culmination of the comprehensive success that Nacua has created through versatility and toughness.
Here are Nacua's last three stat lines: 7 catches, 167 yards and 2 touchdowns at Arizona; 9 catches and 181 yards vs. Detroit; 12 catches, 225 yards and 2 touchdowns at Seattle.
In that time, he has seven contested catches (tied for first in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus), 238 yards after the catch and 131 yards after contact, both of which lead the league according to Next Gen Stats. The next closest player (Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington) picked up just 74 yards after contact.
Nacua attributed his recent run to the added motivation that comes in big moments and the extra work he puts in with Stafford during the week. If there's any information that will help Stafford and Nacua connect on a given play or against a specific look, the two will talk about it during their early morning film sessions or out on the practice field.
"Just the information that we got to be able to make these plays come to life, it's something super fun," Nacua said. "... "There's a moment of truth out there when we are going out there to call those plays to execute to its finest. I feel like we've been thriving in those moments. So it's been fun to have those pressure moments because that's what you play sports for."
Against Arizona, Nacua strung together a slew of highlight-reel catches, as nearly every one of his receptions warranted its own video on therams.com. Five of his seven catches were contested, according to PFF.
When Detroit came to town, Nacua put on a route running clinic, creating an average of 3.2 yards of separation, his third-highest mark of the season, according to Next Gen Stats.
Then against the Seahawks in Week 16, Nacua's 133 yards after the catch (68 of which came after contact) were the most by any player in a single game since the 2023 season, according to Next Gen Stats. He sought contact with every grey jersey in his path, fighting for extra yardage each time he touched the ball.
In all those performances, he showed flashes of the traits that stood out in the others. That's why he's at the top of the charts in nearly every significant stat for wide receivers this season.
When asked what's made Nacua so valuable over the past three games, Stafford said it's the same thing that's elevated him into one of the most productive receivers in football all season. He was just given more opportunities to let that shine in recent weeks.
"He runs great routes and plays really tough with and without the football," Stafford said. "He is physical at the catch point. You saw his run after catch really come to life last week. It's just everything he always does. We're happy to have him."
Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur had a simpler explanation for his success.
"He's different... There's not many people out there in this world that are like him."
