Rams star wide receiver Puka Nacua caught 10 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown and added 14 rushing yards and a score in Los Angeles's 34-31 win over the Panthers in the wild-card round at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday.
But Nacua's biggest play came not as a receiver, but as a defender.
Trailing 24-20 with under 12 minutes remaining in the game, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford overshot Nacua on a third down pass towards the end zone, with the ball headed straight for the arms of Panthers safety Nick Scott. It would have been Stafford's second interception of the game, as well as a momentum-changing turnover. But Nacua, in a play that may have saved the game—and the Rams' season—played defense and batted the ball out of Scott's hands.
Puka Nacua possibly saved the Rams season by forcing this incompletion pic.twitter.com/bsdw3r4DFd
— Justin Penik (@JustinPenik) January 11, 2026
The Rams then converted on a fourth-and-1, and cashed in on a touchdown when Stafford found running back Kyren Williams for a 13-yard score to take the lead. But Nacua's savvy play loomed large after the game.
“That was such a big play...” Rams coach Sean McVay said after the game. “Gets the pass breakup, Kyren does a great job converting on the fourth-and-1. And then we end up being able to punch that thing in with Kyren on the option route, which was a great job by him on a second-and-6. Puka did a great job getting a tough four yards on the jet sweep on the previous play.”
Nacua's game-saving play was even more noteworthy, for he dropped what appeared to be a touchdown pass from Stafford before the end of the first half. The drop left Nacua distraught, but as McVay went on to note, he responded in a big way.
“He's a freakin' warrior. He is well-deserving of being voted unanimously as an All-Pro. That's how he's played for us. And he just responds. Even that one drop, he was so hard on himself, but he comes back, he makes the plays. That pass breakup was unbelievable. It's what great players do. They just play the next play. Love him. Grateful that he's on our squad.”
Nacua and the Rams advance to the divisional round, where they'll await the results of the remaining wild-card games to determine their next opponent.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Sean McVay Lauds Puka Nacua for Game-Saving Play in Rams' Win: 'Freakin Warrior'.
