LOS ANGELES (AP) — Puka Nacua does so many incredible things and attracts so much attention — both good and very bad — that he almost makes it possible to overlook the other elite receiver in the Los Angeles Rams' starting lineup.
Davante Adams is a wise veteran who doesn't make headlines the way his All-Pro teammate does, but he's still one of the NFL's best pass-catchers and route-runners in his 13th season.
And with Nacua sidelined by injury Monday
night, Adams and Matthew Stafford put on a performance that reminded everybody the Rams (1-1) still have the resources to be the team everybody expects them to be.
“It was important to let your great players impact positive change,” coach Sean McVay said Tuesday. “I thought getting (Adams) involved early was key. Then, obviously, to do what he and Matthew did is a tremendous credit to those guys. He made some great, contested catches. I thought he ran good routes and separated. The level of difficulty on some of the throws and catches that those guys made ... .”
Indeed, Adams had eight catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns in the Rams' 28-6 thrashing of the New York Giants, but those gaudy numbers tell only part of the story.
Several of Adams' catches were high-degree-of-difficulty marvels, from his leaping two-handed grab in stride on his first touchdown to his exceptional navigation of downfield coverage for a 64-yard gain later in the game. He was even better in the third quarter, making a perfect stop for a back-shoulder throw from Stafford before adding a long, toe-tap grab on the Rams' sideline two minutes later.
“We came out aggressive, just shooting our shot,” Adams said. “(Stafford) has got a way of manipulating the defenses, and he makes it easier for all of our guys.”
Adams was just as quiet as the rest of the offense during the Rams' season-opening embarrassment in Australia, making only three catches — two in the final minutes — for 26 yards in their 20-point loss to the 49ers. But with Nacua sidelined by a hip injury, Adams stepped up.
The Rams also were without All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett, but Byron Young stepped into that void with five tackles, a sack and three quarterback hits. He was involved in the tackle that sent Jaxson Dart to the sideline with a knee injury, and he led the effort to shut down Jameis Winston after that.
“I thought we did a great job of continuously applying pressure,” McVay said. "I thought our front was really active. I loved the way our edges played and our interior line.”
That interior line now includes Aaron Donald, who had three tackles and a pressure in his first NFL action in 32 months. Donald expects to make a bigger impact when he gets fully up to speed.
“There's always room for improvement, but we had a good start,” Donald said.
The Rams' mental response to being routed in Melbourne was practically perfect. McVay didn't overthink his game plans on either side of the ball, and his players embraced the primetime spotlight against a lively Giants squad. The next task is to find sustainability in this roller coaster of September.
“There was a sense of urgency that was necessary,” McVay said. “The big thing is, after you do a good job responding, how can you keep that same sense of urgency? Because human nature tells you to exhale a little bit. We can’t afford to do that.”
The Rams consistently have been one of the NFL's least-penalized teams under McVay, but they were hit with six flags for 50 yards against the Giants, and it could have been more. Offense, defense and special teams were all culpable.
Do-it-all safety Quentin Lake bounced back with a strong game after Kyle Shanahan and Brock Purdy picked on him in the opener, making six tackles and forcing a fumble. The secondary made up for Kam Kinchens' absence with Kam Curl and Josh Wallace playing more extensively, and everybody looked good — albeit against a backup QB.
The Rams’ special teams were bad again, and not just because of Xavier Smith’s latest kick-return misadventures. Harrison Mevis missed a 43-yard field goal attempt at the halftime gun after the Rams’ offense worked hard to get into position. It was only the second failed kick of Mevis’ Rams career, but it’s unacceptable to miss from that distance in a roofed stadium. McVay declined to try a 56-yard field goal later, punting it away instead. But punter Ethan Evans also wasn’t great, delivering one short punt and booming another through the end zone.
It's too early to say whether Nacua will be available against the Broncos, but McVay is “hopeful that he'll play.”
0.75 — Donald's get-off speed on pass rush snaps, according to NextGenStats. That's the third-fastest attack among all of the NFL's defensive tackles in Week 2.
After enduring lengthy waits for the Rams' first two games, McVay embraces the short week of preparation for Denver in yet another primetime game — LA's third of four in the first five weeks.
___
See AP’s full NFL coverage here
