After Two TDs, Puka Nacua Makes a Costly Drop; Skip Bayless Says “Speed Is Overrated”

It didn’t take long for Puka Nacua to get going on Saturday afternoon against the Carolina Panthers, but it also didn’t take very long for him to cool off, either. The Los Angeles Rams were able to claim an immediate 14-0 lead by the 12:21 mark of the second quarter thanks to a pair of touchdowns from the third-year receiver, and Nacua was able to catch all of his first six targets for a total of 68 receiving yards.

Unfortunately, what initially looked like a legacy game turned out to be a tale of two halves for the 24-year-old, as a costly drop, one that could have resulted in yet another touchdown for Nacua and the Rams, paired with a shift in coverage from Carolina, ultimately caused him to cool off.

While Nacua was ultimately able to bounce back in the fourth quarter and finish the contest with 10 catches and 111 receiving yards, he was likely kicking himself for most of the contest. Especially once the Panthers managed to come back and take a four-point lead with less than three minutes left in the game.

To his credit, however, the kid was able to bite down on his mouthpiece and play through the adversity. According to the former Fox Sports host, Skip Bayless, it’s now time to give Nacua his flowers and also admit that speed may be a bit overrated when it comes to skill position players.

Saturday’s contest marks Nacua’s seventh 100+ receiving yard game of the 2025 season, and he’s currently averaging 95.3 receiving yards per game, which is the highest career average in NFL history. Throw in the fact that he’s now claimed a second Pro Bowl title, and it’s safe to say that the Rams found something special here in Nacua.

Despite this being just his third year in the league, Nacua has already proven to be Cooper Kupp 2.0 for Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay. As a rookie, he was entrusted with a rather large target share that has only grown since, and he’s yet to let them down truly.

As a direct result of Nacua’s performance and the Rams’ victory, Los Angeles is now being listed as the second-largest betting favorite to win this year’s Super Bowl. Second only to the Seattle Seahawks, the Rams are currently being booked as +410 favorites, while the next closest team, the Denver Broncos, is being listed as +700 favorites.

Simply put, apart from their divisional rivals, this championship is now the Rams’ to lose. They’ve got one of the best wide receivers in the league paired with one of the most capable, veteran arms that remain in the playoffs.

Throw in a top-10 scoring defense and past experience from Super Bowl LVI, and it’s hard to deny that they are perhaps the best team left in the postseason. Of course, the onus is still on them to verify that by winning, but given their recent track record, that shouldn’t be much of a problem.