Puka

InvaderRam wrote:

wv wrote:

Well, he’s definitely a throw-back. An old-school 70’s kindof receiver. Tough as nails, fearless, reckless. “A rolling ball of butcher knives”. Charley Taylor, Andre Reed come to mind.

some of it is definitely that. but there’s something more. kupp is also that same type of throwback receiver, but he didn’t evoke the same type of emotion. maybe it’s cuz he looks like an overgrown kid just out there playing football. i’m not quite sure what it is.

Nacua is good at every level as a receiver–blocking, routes, field awareness, hands. He’s not the magic dancer Adams is, but he’s solid. On top of it he’s enthusiastically physical. But that’s not what makes him special. Yeah sure when he’s wide open he catches it, etc. etc. He’s good at every phase of the game as a receiver, but that’s not what makes him special.

And I think it was Brady who said this. His super powers that make him something more than just a solid receiver are “in the phone booth” type skills. Hands, sheer combative will, extraordinary body control, quick thinking, pure athleticism, timing, instantaneous reactions–-all combined, all in the phone booth space at the moment of the catch.

I am trying to think of another receiver in NFL history that had that kind of “in the phone booth at the moment of the catch” specialness.

….

zn wrote:

And I think it was Brady who said this. His super powers that make him something more than just a solid receiver are “in the phone booth” type skills. Hands, sheer combative will, extraordinary body control, quick thinking, pure athleticism, timing, instantaneous reactions–-all combined, all in the phone booth space at the moment of the catch.

but again the same can be said for kupp. as well as this kupp had the same kind of physicality and attitude that made me worry about his durability. yet i don’t quite get the same feels as i do with him. and i’m not quite sure why that is. maybe it’s cuz kupp was much more of a technician. a professional. not that nacua doesn’t work at his craft. but when he’s out on the field it’s like he’s just having fun as opposed to kupp where it was much more cold and analytical. precise. i don’t know.

Good conversation about Puka, my favorite Ram in this iteration of the team. As Zooey mentioned, quite the contrast with Bruce and Holt, who tended to go down on contact. Puka is a fighter all the way, and that can have negative impact. But I have to think, with his otherworldly sense of the present, his ability to focus on the football through all its stages, elite hand-eye coordination, etc., that should do him favors in avoiding injuries too. Knock on wood.

Most receiving yards per game in NFL history:

Puka Nacua – 93.7
Justin Jefferson – 90.8
Ja'Marr Chase – 87.6
Calvin Johnson – 86.1
Antonio Brown – 84.2 pic.twitter.com/KsfZeUInJw

— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) December 15, 2025

The best blocking receiver in football is now one of the league’s best deep threats, too. pic.twitter.com/SXECA6jk49

— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) December 15, 2025

apparently puka is facing some controversy this week. livestreamed with some social media stars. was insulting nfl refs, was doing what some are calling an antisemitic dance (so the dance is done by some guy who is actually jewish but he’s also widely known to hold some pretty far right views and is associated with white nationalists)… he also tried to sneak these guys into the rams facility but was admonished by sean mcvay.

not what i wanted to hear.

We had another Puka yapping incident, didn’t we? I don’t remember what it was, but he said something out loud that you just don’t say out loud. Last year, I think.

Those refs are a brotherhood, and all they have to do to retaliate is not call a PI that should be called. Puka just has to STFU.

in fairness to puka, i saw another segment where he was invited to a Jewish Seder and talked about what a good time he had and how much he enjoyed participating in another culture and learning different things. i think he was tricked. having said that he’s gotta be careful. he’s also gotta not insult the refs who could have a direct impact on the game tonight.

i’m a little conflicted. on one hand i am not exactly sure he knew what that hand gesture meant. i didn’t even know until i looked it up.

on the other hand his family is very close to the dana white family… it doesn’t mean they share the same beliefs, but that dude is a little dangerous in my opinion. dana white that is. i also read on reddit somewhere that he was a covid denier and didn’t believe in vaccines. so… i don’t know. he’s young. maybe naive. i hope he learns from this. not just from a pr perspective. but also from a personal standpoint.

i like to watch him play. a joy to watch. this is a little disappointing though.

I actually think the refs got retribution in the Seattle game cause of PN’s negative comments about them.

That’s why players don’t do that.

Uh Oh: Rams HC Sean McVay found out about Puka Nacua’s tweet about the refs in his postgame press conference…

McVay looks extremely upset 😳 https://t.co/qJOybNKD9T pic.twitter.com/SMXt9fjr41

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 19, 2025

This is a STRONG catch on 4th & 5 😳 pic.twitter.com/GwcOepZBbG

— Coach Dan Casey (@CoachDanCasey) December 19, 2025

Nate Atkins@NateAtkins_
Sean McVay said he’s “betting on the human being” with Puka Nacua after the past week of off-field concerns.

He said the tweet about officials was not the format to express frustrations.

Also said he won’t face additional punishment from the team beyond league fines.