Los Angeles Rams star Puka Nacua is going down in history as the most productive rookie wide receiver to date. He might also go down in history as one of the humblest.
After the Rams’ 24—23 wild-card playoff loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday, the fifth-round pick from BYU was asked about his thoughts on the officials’ possibly swallowing their whistles late in the game.
One controversial no-call stood out in particular: On a third-and-14 in Lions’ territory, Matthew Stafford threw a high pass to Nacua, who couldn’t secure the ball. The replay showed Lions cornerback Cameron Sutton tugging on Nacua’s jersey prior to the wide receiver’s leap in the air, arguably showing evidence of pass interference.
No flag was thrown, and the Rams ended up punting on what would be their final drive of the game.
Early contact here and a jersey pull on this throw to Puka but the refs don't throw a flag. #LARvsDET pic.twitter.com/Javjw3d4wr
— Rate the Refs App (@Rate_the_Refs) January 15, 2024
Regarding the pivotal fourth quarter no-call, Nacua said, “It’s a physical game of football, and they’re a good team. Playoff football is where every inch matters. They were playing physical, but I definitely feel like I could have done a better job at being able to separate and just come down with it. Every catch is going to be contested … and I just wasn’t able to come down with those ones.”
Nacua did come down with nine catches for 181 yards and one touchdown in the wild-card loss, setting a new record for the most receiving yards by a rookie in a playoff game.
Nacua’s feat came one week after he set the record for the most receiving yards and receptions by a rookie in a single season in NFL history.
