Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford suffered a hip injury during Sunday’s overtime thriller in Indy. After the game, rookie receiver Puka Nacua volunteered blame for the hit that knocked Stafford wobbly.
“I take that one personally because the play he got injured on was my fault,” Nacua told PFT by phone after the 29-23 win. “It was an error on my side. My alignment was too wide and they ended up shooting up the gap and ended up hitting him.”
The unprompted candor from Puka was almost as refreshing as his performance on Sunday — nine catches, 163 yards, and the game-winning touchdown.
Stafford found a way to hobble through the situation, as he always seems to do. He’s one of the toughest players the league has seen this century. And it goes unrecognized for the most part because he does nothing to draw attention to it.
He just keeps going. Finding a way to play, if he can. And sometimes when he can’t.
For as long as he can play in 2023, the Rams will be relevant and competitive.
For now, the Rams have five games to go until their bye. Given the way Stafford was moving late in Sunday’s game, that bye can’t get here soon enough.
