Obviously, the Los Angeles Rams are better with their best players, that’s math and science, but if Puka Nacua doesn’t play on Sunday, then Sean McVay has a golden opportunity to show that even without his star wideout, he can still scheme up plays with the best of them.
The fact is that if Puka misses time, then this could be a blessing in disguise as is gives other players a chance to shine, and it may force McVay and Matthew Stafford to find solutions without Nacua and spread the ball around.
In the NFL (and in life), you have to find silver linings where you can, and if the Rams can find a way to win on Sunday without Nacua, then that’s a big-time silver lining.
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“BALTIMORE -- Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua has an ankle sprain, coach Sean McVay said, but the team believes Nacua avoided a long-term injury on Sunday.
“We’ll be day-to-day with him,” McVay said Monday. “Initially, he felt pretty good today, but we’ll just see how the week progresses.”
Nacua sprained his left ankle in the second quarter of the Rams’ 17-3 victory over the Baltimore Ravens while attempting to catch a pass in the end zone. He got up slowly after the play and started to walk off the field. After taking a few steps, Nacua went back to the ground and was checked out by the team’s medical staff.“
“A favorite to win the AFC North just a week ago despite a (1-4) record, the Ravens are now underdogs in the North. The Steelers at (4-1) are now the favorites and there’s little reason to think that things will change despite the season being just 6 weeks old. It’s been a long 6 weeks and the bye week will feel like an eternity.
For the next 2 weeks, the stench of this start will linger like road kill on a freshly tarred boulevard during the sweltering days of July.
Only four teams have survived a (1-5) start to recover and punch their postseason dance card. When reminded of the daunting odds facing the Ravens, head coach John Harbaugh quipped: “Good, good. What an opportunity.”
“Furthermore, the rumblings from Ravens fans inspired Sports Illustrated author Brock Vierra to suggest the Week 6 clash between Baltimore and the Los Angeles Rams was
The truth of the matter is that some experts projected Harbaugh to be on the hot seat as soon as the team started to spiral downwards this season. And the most recent list from Barnwell confirms that to be the case. Still, it’s a bit naive to believe that one bad season means the end of Harbaugh’s tenure.“
It's not easy for leaders of a team to fall on the sword over and over again when a team is struggling, as
Tagovailoa was crystal clear at his postgame podium availability that there are deeper-rooted issues with leadership on the team, including players showing up late to players-only meetings. After throwing three interceptions against the Chargers, you would have expected a bit more of a humble approach from Tagovailoa with the press, but misery loves company.
The problem is, it seems like Tagovailoa himself hasn't always been the shining example of accountability when it comes to the little things like showing up on time. When his postgame clip about leadership on the team went viral, a former teammate decided it was time to call out Tagovailoa for some hypocrisy.
This dude…the starting QB…was late to the first team meeting during my 3 seconds on the Dolphins 😂😂😂😂 and everything was all cool in there
https://t.co/SNctzR0oZg — DaeSean Hamilton (@SkeeterMills__) October 13, 2025
DaeSean Hamilton didn't spent much time with the Miami Dolphins, but even in the short time he was there, he took note of the fact that Tagovailoa didn't exactly set the example he's now calling guys out for. Nothing derails leadership more than a lack of integrity, or not practicing what you preach.
Hamilton's "3 seconds" with the Dolphins were back in 2022, the first year of the Mike McDaniel era. It's maybe even understandable at that point that Tua was operating differently than he is now. We all grow differently in leadership, and we learn from mistakes.
It's not irrational to say that Tua is a much better leader behind the scenes now than he was back in 2022 when Hamilton was with the team, but this is still the impression that he made on one teammate who was looking to his example.
Regardless of how long Hamilton was or wasn't with the team, the impression Tagovailoa made for him was not in alignment with the message the Dolphins' quarterback was sending at the podium after the Chargers' loss. Being an NFL quarterback is one of the most pressure-packed jobs in all of sports, so it's understandable for Tua to be emotional after a tight loss like we saw on Sunday.
With that in mind, the quarterback -- much like the head coach -- has to take accountability even if it means taking the blame for others at times. You can't call people out publicly -- even if you're not naming them specifically -- for showing up late if you have a history of showing up late as well.
What Tagovailoa said at the podium after the loss to the Chargers isn't going to galvanize his teammates, in fact the opposite. Now, we'll find out how he takes initiative as the leader of the team in how to rectify the damage he's done.
