Back in Week 8, Puka Nacua surprised everyone when he returned from injured reserve in time to play against the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday Night Football.
Even Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores was shocked he was on the field.
The Rams gave almost no indication that Nacua would be ready to go against Minnesota in that game and he barely practiced leading up to the game, only getting in one limited day and one walkthrough. Naturally, the Vikings didn’t think he’d play.
Ahead of Monday night’s playoff game, Flores told reporters that the Vikings were caught off guard by Nacua’s return, only finding out hours before kickoff that he’d be available. Nacua made his presence felt right away with a seven-catch, 106-yard performance in the Rams’ win, picking up where he left off before his knee injury.
Brian Flores said the Vikings found out about four hours before the first Rams game that Puka Nacua was going to play, adding they were “a little bit surprised that he was out there” and saying there was “a little bit of scrambling” to prepare for the fact he’d play.
The Rams,…
— Ben Goessling (@BenGoessling) January 7, 2025
Nacua has been the catalyst for the Rams’ turnaround this season, playing a huge role in their resurgence since he came back in Week 8.
The Vikings will probably have a much better plan for slowing down Nacua this time around, but even the best defenses have had no answer for the star receiver. It’s a real challenge to slow him down, let alone stop him.
