Week 1 was not kind to the Los Angeles Rams from an injury front. In addition to the offensive line falling apart, the team also lost Puka Nacua for at least a month.
He aggravated a knee injury originally suffered in early August, forcing him to not only exit Sunday night’s game against the Lions but also land on injured reserve. Once the Rams place him on IR, as Sean McVay said they will, he’ll be out at least four games, putting him on track to potentially return after the Week 6 bye.
It’s a brutal blow for the offense and for Nacua, who set rookie records for receiving yards and receptions last season. The silver lining is that the injury occurred at one of the Rams’ deepest positions.
Unlike the injuries suffered on the offensive line and at cornerback, the Rams have the depth to survive Nacua’s absence. The offense will look different without its top receiver from a season ago, but they have players behind him who are capable of filling in.
Oh, and they also have a guy named Cooper Kupp. You might’ve heard of him.
Alongside Kupp, the Rams are likely to start Demarcus Robinson and Tyler Johnson for the next four weeks. Robinson was already a starter as the No. 3 wideout and Johnson did an admirable job on Sunday night after Nacua went down. In the loss, Johnson caught five passes for 79 yards, none bigger than a 63-yard catch-and-run at the end of the third quarter on a short drag route.
After the new top three of Kupp, Robinson and Johnson, there are a couple of younger players who can contribute: Jordan Whittington and Tutu Atwell. Neither played very much in the opener but that could change now that the Rams know Nacua is out. McVay can better prepare Whittington and Atwell for increased reps in Weeks 2-5.
Atwell played really well during Kupp’s early-season absence last year and could contribute as a deep threat this season, too. In the first four games of 2023, he caught 22 passes for 270 yards and one touchdown. He has yet to become a full-time player as a former second-round pick but he can still help the Rams this season.
And then there’s Whittington, the stud rookie who shined in training camp and the preseason. He got reps with the first-team offense in practice this summer and has been praised up and down by teammates and coaches. He should’ve scored a touchdown on a jet sweep Sunday night but A.J. Arcuri’s holding penalty nullified it. He plays a similar style to Nacua in that he’s tough, physical and has good speed, so he could get some opportunities in the next month, too.
No one wants to lose a Pro Bowl receiver and a player as passionate as Nacua, but the Rams are fortunate to have good depth at wideout – something McVay indicated on Monday.
I was really proud of Tyler Johnson. I thought Jordan Whittington came in and did some nice things. We know that we have a guy in Tutu Atwell who’ll be able to step in and do some different things,” McVay said. “Unfortunately, or fortunately, the difference between last year is because Cooper was out the majority of the time, you have some continuity with that group. This is a little bit different but we have some depth. I think more importantly, to answer your question, I feel for Puka and these other guys will get some opportunities that I’m confident they’ll step up and play good football for us.”
