Puka Nacua has had a lot of eye-popping performances already in the NFL despite only being in his second season, but his game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday might’ve been his best yet. Nacua caught 12 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown, while also adding 16 yards rushing and a touchdown on a career-high five carries.
His 162 yards receiving were the third-most he’s ever had in a game and his 178 yards from scrimmage were the second-most of his career, but he accomplished something in Week 14 that only two other NFL players ever have – and they’re both Hall of Famers.
According to NFL.com, Nacua became just the third player in league history with at least 160 yards receiving, one touchdown catch and one rushing touchdown in the same game. The other two are Jerry Rice, who did it twice, and Lance Alworth.
Wide receivers with 160+ receiving yards 1+ receiving TD, 1+ rushing TD:
Puka Nacua today
Jerry Rice twice
Lance Alworth in 1964 https://t.co/RaQ4VEBMVj— Dante Koplowitz-Fleming (@DanteKopFlem) December 9, 2024
That’s some rare company for Nacua to keep and it shows his versatility as a playmaker on offense. Not only was he incredibly productive as a receiver, but his 16 rushing yards kept the chains moving and all of them picked up positive yardage except for one where he lost 3 yards.
It’s obviously still very early in his career, but if Nacua stays healthy, he’s on a path to becoming one of the best receivers in franchise history.
