'We'll ride with that guy all day': How Puka Nacua's physicality is fueling Rams' season

Watch Puka Nacua connected the sideline earlier each violative possession, and you'll spot the Los Angeles receiver inquire a teammate to hit his pads. Hard.

Players from choky extremity Tyler Higbee to near defender Steve Avila, tackle AJ Arcuri and erstwhile Rams halfway Brian Allen person participated successful the ritual implicit Nacua's 3 years successful the league. Nacua said helium has a "mixture of guys" who person done it, but he's picky: "I privation idiosyncratic who's got a bully slap successful them," Nacua said. "I don't privation them to babe me, for sure."

"The archetypal 1 is ever like, 'Oh, spell retired there. Good job, buddy'" Nacua said. "I'm like, 'No, no, no, that's not astatine each what I privation from you guys.' The archetypal 1 usually ends up being six slaps due to the fact that the archetypal three, they're like, 'I don't privation to wounded you.' I'm like, 'All right, travel on. I didn't inquire you to springiness maine a small pat connected the back.'"

Nacua performs the ritual successful portion due to the fact that of a feeling from erstwhile helium was a small kid. Growing up with older brothers, helium felt their strength successful the car connected the mode to large games, similar his peewee shot championships.

"Being successful the car with them and the music, the tone, the strength and decidedly getting deed [by them portion getting] retired of the car arsenic I was moving retired determination for the shot field, a portion of that takes maine back," Nacua said. "I deliberation it's ever bully to get a small aftermath up connected the sideline earlier you officially get deed by idiosyncratic else."

One of those hits came aboriginal successful the 3rd 4th against the Indianapolis Colts successful Week 4, forcing Nacua to caput to the locker country to get X-rays taken of his near thumb.

He had been rolled up connected 1 of the tally plays, helium said, and had to marque definite thing was broken. After being fixed the all-clear, Nacua returned to the crippled and caught a 17-yard walk connected his archetypal thrust back.

This isn't the archetypal clip this play -- and surely not the archetypal clip successful his vocation -- that Nacua's carnal play has been connected display. The third-year receiver is known for his toughness connected the field, consenting to get soiled portion blocking successful the tally crippled and warring for other yards aft the catch. Not lone tin helium "get unfastened and drawback the football," caput manager Sean McVay said, but "what helium does aft the ball's successful his hands is truly -- it's peculiar stuff."

"I deliberation his play benignant rubs disconnected connected everybody connected our team, not conscionable the offense," backmost Matthew Stafford said. "I deliberation our defence looks astatine him like, 'S---, we'll thrust with that feline each day.' I cognize that's however we consciousness connected offense."

That "play style" has helped Nacua go 1 of the champion young receivers successful the league. After a 13-catch, 170-yard show successful Week 4, Nacua is present 21 receiving yards distant from 3,000 successful his career. With astatine slightest 21 receiving yards connected Thursday nighttime against the San Francisco 49ers (8:15 p.m. ET, Amazon), Nacua would necktie Justin Jefferson for the second-fewest vocation games (33) needed to scope that mark, according to ESPN Research.

"His crippled comes to beingness connected Sundays," Stafford said. "He goes retired determination successful signifier and he's working. ...He's making plays and each that, but erstwhile it becomes tackle shot is erstwhile Puka Nacua's crippled comes to life."

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