Las Vegas is the next stop for the Los Angeles Rams, and Puka Nacua’s calf is the newest worry on the trip. Their top receiver is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Davante Adams is already out with a hamstring injury, so Nacua’s status shapes everything Matthew Stafford can do against a Las Vegas defense that has forced turnovers all season.
Los Angeles is coming off an 18-16 loss to Arizona at SoFi Stadium, decided by Chad Ryland’s 43-yard field goal as time expired, which left the Rams with a 0-2 start in the division. The Raiders are 3-3 and have lost three straight, with Kirk Cousins still starting over Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick. Here are five questions Rams fans are asking before kickoff.
Will Puka Nacua play against the Raiders?
It is a real question heading into Sunday. Nacua was limited Thursday with a calf injury and did not practice Friday, according to the Rams’ final injury report. Head coach Sean McVay said Nacua “took part in a majority of the practice, left, (and then) got it checked out.”
McVay added, “But I don’t think he was aware of any sort of specific play that led to it.” If Nacua sits, the Rams lose both of their top receivers in the same week. Adams is on injured reserve and expected to miss six to 10 weeks, which explains why ESPN’s Dan Graziano hears the team will explore a receiver trade before the Nov. 10 deadline. Konata Mumpfield, who had four catches for 93 yards and a go-ahead touchdown at Denver in Week 3, would lead a group with Jordan Whittington and Tutu Atwell. Nacua’s 17 catches against Buffalo in Week 5 show how much the offense runs through him.
When will Myles Garrett return for the Rams?
Garrett will miss a sixth straight game Sunday. McVay ruled Garrett out against Las Vegas, but NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Friday that the edge rusher is likely to return to practice next week.
Garrett played through knee swelling in the Week 1 loss to San Francisco in Melbourne, had arthroscopic surgery in mid-September and went on injured reserve Sept. 17. He has missed five games since. A return to practice would open a 21-day window to activate him, and the Chargers visit SoFi Stadium in Week 8. McVay has resisted rushing it. “When you do something like this, let’s put him in a good position to return to performance,” McVay said earlier this month, per the team’s official website. The Rams sent Jared Verse and three draft picks, including a 2027 first-rounder, to Cleveland for Garrett after he set the single-season record with 23 sacks.
Why can’t the Rams finish their pass rush?
Los Angeles creates plenty of pressure and gets few sacks out of it. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell found the Rams pressure quarterbacks on nearly 41% of dropbacks, sixth in the league, yet turn only about 10% of those pressures into sacks, second-worst in the NFL.
Byron Young is the clearest example. He has 29 pressures, sixth among 115 edge defenders, and leads the position with 22 hurries, according to his PFF page, but only four sacks. The Rams have eight sacks through six games. Aaron Donald is still looking for his first sack since coming out of retirement Aug. 30, though his best single-game pressure rates came the last two weeks, 13% against Arizona and 10.5% against Buffalo. With Kobie Turner and Poona Ford on injured reserve, Donald and Braden Fiske will carry more of the interior load. “You can’t curl up and think it’s over. It’s not over,” Donald said in the team’s game preview.
Can Alaric Jackson slow down Maxx Crosby?
Getting Jackson back helps. Arizona sacked Stafford three times with David Quessenberry at left tackle while Jackson served a one-game suspension.
Crosby is the biggest problem on the Raiders’ defense. He carries an 87.0 PFF grade, fourth among edge defenders, with 35 pressures (second) and 12 quarterback hits, per his PFF page, even if his sack total sits at three. Jackson posted a 76.4 PFF grade through five games, 10th among 72 qualified tackles, and allowed 12 pressures and one sack, according to PFF. Las Vegas can also take the ball away. The Raiders entered Week 6 with an NFL-high 10 takeaways, according to the Raiders’ official site, and linebacker Nakobe Dean had 12 tackles against Buffalo. Stafford has six interceptions, and Barnwell found his QBR on throws after four or more seconds ranks 31st of 33 qualifiers.
Should Kyren Williams get more carries against Las Vegas?
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The matchup favors it. Williams averages 4.9 yards per carry but got a season-low 10 carries against Arizona, while Blake Corum ran nine times for 42 yards and a touchdown.
Williams has played 70% of the offensive snaps, per ESPN, and his postgame comments put McVay’s offense under scrutiny. “It’s not on me, but I just think no matter what, we got to continue to have the energy,” Williams told ESPN after the loss. The Rams threw on 65.4% of their plays, the sixth-highest rate in the league per Next Gen Stats, and were held under 100 rushing yards in both home losses. The Raiders entered Week 6 allowing 140.6 rushing yards per game, 28th in the league, then gave up 95 yards and a touchdown to James Cook. Without Adams, and possibly Nacua, leaning on Williams is the simplest way to protect Stafford from Crosby.
Los Angeles Rams Essentials
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- 5 Best Rams Running Backs of All Time
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