Is Puka Nacua playing tonight? Exploring Rams WR's availability status for Week 10 MNF game vs. Dolphins
Puka Nacua made the first significant mistake of his NFL career in Week 9 against the Seattle Seahawks. The Pro Bowler threw a punch at Tyret Dodson and was promptly ejected out of the game. The league later fined him $5,424 for the incident.
Let's examine Nacua's availability ahead of the Los Angeles Rams' Week 10 game against the Miami Dolphins on Monday night.
Is Puka Nacua playing tonight?
Yes, Puka Nacua is playing tonight against the Miami Dolphins. The BYU product suffered just a fine for his punch in Week 9 and will be allowed to feature in subsequent matchups.
Furthermore, Nacua does not carry an injury designation into the game. Hence, barring any unfortunate scenarios, he'll be catching balls from Matthew Stafford in Week 10 of the 2024 season.
Nacua is an important part of how the Los Angeles Rams play due to his toughness, elusiveness and ability to catch contested balls. Thus, his availability in tonight's game should prove advantageous for Sean McVay's offense.
The Rams will have an impressive wide receiver corps of Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Demarcus Robinson and Tutu Atwell to rely upon. Also, running backs Kyren Williams, Blake Corum and Ronnie Rivers form a decent RB committee for handoffs and high-yardage runs.
How has Puka Nacua performed in 2024?
Puka Nacua is having the proverbial sophomore slump in the 2024 season. Nacua has played just three games all season (if you count the short time he spent on the field at the Seahawks). He has amassed a stat line of merely 12 receptions, 152 receiving yards and zero interceptions.
These numbers are in stark contrast to his rookie numbers of 105 receptions, 1,486 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 17 games. Of course, a reason for his lack of stats is that he missed five games due to a significant knee injury sustained against the Detroit Lions in the first game of the season.
The Rams will need all the help they can muster in Week 10. They aim to remain in the win column and shore up their chances of a postseason berth. They could do just that by putting on a stellar performance against the out-of-form Miami Dolphins.