Puka Nacua spent most of Thursday night reminding everyone why he has become central to the Los Angeles Rams offense, torching the Seattle Seahawks in a performance that felt equal parts response and release.
On a short week and in one of the league’s most difficult road environments, Nacua played with urgency and confidence, turning routine plays into explosive gains and repeatedly flipping field position for a Rams team desperate for consistency.
By the time the clock hit zero, the stat line told the story. Nacua finished with 12 receptions for 225 yards and two touchdowns, consistently winning against coverage and providing Matthew Stafford with a reliable option when pressure mounted.
It was the type of game that usually dominates headlines on its own, especially coming off a stretch where mistakes and missed opportunities had drawn scrutiny.
Shortly after the game concluded, Nacua took to social media and posted a message that quickly shifted the conversation away from his on-field brilliance.
“Can you say I was wrong,” Nacua tweeted. “Appreciate you stripes for your contribution. lol.” The post was later deleted, but its meaning was clear and its reach immediate.
The message was a direct callback to comments Nacua had made earlier in the week during a livestream, when frustration boiled over and he openly criticized officiating by saying, “The refs are the worst.” That remark had already put him in line for a fine, and the deleted tweet raised the possibility that further discipline could follow.
The timing was especially sensitive because officiating played a central role in one of the game’s most controversial moments.
Late in regulation, the Rams attempted a potential game-tying two-point conversion. What was initially ruled an incompletion was later overturned by replay review into a backward pass and a fumble.
The Seahawks recovered the ball in the end zone after running back Zach Charbonnet casually picked it up, operating under the assumption that the play was dead, a belief shared by nearly everyone watching in real time.
A dominant performance complicated by the aftermath
When Rams coach Sean McVay was asked about the tweet during his postgame press conference, he made it clear he had not yet seen it and declined to comment without context.
“I can’t answer questions about something I’m not aware of,” McVay said. “I’ve got to have more information before I answer any of those kind of questions.”
McVay’s response reflected the organization’s broader approach. Publicly, the Rams have worked to keep officiating debates from overshadowing preparation and performance. Privately, the situation puts Nacua in an uncomfortable position.
On the field, his night could hardly have gone better. Seattle struggled to slow him regardless of coverage, and his physicality after the catch repeatedly extended drives and changed momentum. Nacua’s ability to find space, absorb contact, and stay engaged throughout a back-and-forth contest underscored why he has quickly become a foundational piece of the Rams offense.
Off the field, however, the focus has shifted in a way the team would prefer to avoid. Nacua is already facing a fine tied to his livestream comments about officials, and the deleted tweet could invite additional consequences.
Even if further discipline does not come, the episode highlights how quickly attention can drift in the modern NFL, where reactions are instant and permanent.
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