The Rams’ injury woes continued Thursday when star receiver Puka Nacua left practice because of a calf injury, a team official said.
Nacua was sidelined for two games this season because of a hip injury, but he has played the last three games for a Rams team that opened the season as the Super Bowl favorite but is 2-4 heading into Sunday’s game against the Raiders in Las Vegas.
The Rams are already thin at receiver in the wake of a hamstring injury suffered by Davante Adams during the Rams’ 18-16 defeat by the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday. Adams, 33, will be sidelined for six to 10 weeks, coach Sean McVay said.
It remains to be seen if Nacua, who led the NFL in receptions last season, will play against the Raiders.
Jordan Whittington, Konata Mumpfield, Tutu Atwell and rookie CJ Daniels are other Rams receivers.
The Rams lost much more than a game to the Arizona Cardinals.
They lost four key players because of injuries.
Receiver Davante Adams suffered a ruptured hamstring and will be sidelined six to 10 weeks, defensive lineman Kobie Turner sustained a groin strain and will be out several weeks and defensive lineman Poona Ford suffered a season-ending triceps injury, coach Sean McVay said Monday.
Kicker Blake Grupe was placed on injured reserve after leaving Sunday’s 18-16 defeat because of a knee injury.
“These are adverse moments and we’ve got to be able to push through and do hard things,” McVay said during a videoconference with reporters, “and that’s exactly what this situation entails.”
The Rams are 2-4 heading into Sunday’s game against the Raiders in Las Vegas.
A team that began the season as the Super Bowl favorite now must engineer turnarounds similar to those they pulled off in 2023 and 2024 to qualify for the playoffs.
“There’s no sense of panic,” safety Quentin Lake said during a videoconference, “but I think for us now there has to be a sense of urgency.”
On Sunday, the Rams will once again be without edge rusher Myles Garrett, who has been on injured reserve following left knee surgery after the season opener. McVay said the Rams would not open Garrett’s 21-day window to return this week.
Rams defensive end Myles Garrett stands on the field before Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals at SoFi Stadium.
(Gregory Bull / Associated Press)
All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, who sat out against the Cardinals because of a groin injury, is “progressing” and his status for the game against the Raiders will be determined late in the week, McVay said.
Adams, 33, is in his 13th NFL season. The three-time All-Pro, who led the NFL with 14 touchdown catches last season, has 30 receptions for 480 yards and four touchdowns.
Adams’ absence leaves the Rams with receivers Puka Nacua, Jordan Whittington, Konata Mumpfield, Tutu Atwell and rookie CJ Daniels.
McVay said the Rams would explore possibly adding a receiver.
Turner has made 22 tackles and has broken up two passes. Ford has 15 tackles, one for a loss.
Aaron Donald and Braden Fiske are the remaining starters, and Tyler Davis, Larrell Murchison and Ty Hamilton will assume larger roles.
Grupe, signed last week to replace Harrison Mevis, made a 44-yard field goal in the first quarter against the Cardinals. But he was injured during the ensuing kickoff when he knocked the returner out of bounds.
McVay said the Rams were making inquiries about available kickers.
“We’ve taken some shots this year,” McVay said of the rash of injuries. “We’ve got to be able to get up and keep swingin’.
The Rams delivered some thrills — but not a victory.
Tyler Bass kicked a 45-yard field goal with 1:55 left in overtime, sending the Rams to a 37-34 loss before 73,882 at SoFi Stadium.
Special teams miscues and penalties once again hampered the Rams in a game that featured three touchdown passes by Matthew Stafford and a career-best 17 catches by Puka Nacua.
Just as they did two years ago, when the Rams outlasted the Bills for a 44-42 victory, the teams put on a show.
But the Rams’ record dropped to 2-3, the fourth time in the last five seasons the Rams are 2-3 or worse after five games.
In 2022, when the Bills blew out the Rams in the opener at SoFi Stadium, the Rams were 2-3 en route to a 5-12 finish, the worst Super Bowl hangover in NFL history.
In 2023, the Rams were 2-3 before rallying to finish 10-7. The Detroit Lions eliminated the Rams in the NFC wild-card round. The next season, the Rams started 1-4, finished 10-7 again and lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round.
Monday’s game was a matchup between the two previous NFL most valuable players, Bills quarterback Josh Allen in 2024 and Stafford in 2025. It was the first game between consecutive MVPs who play in separate conferences since 2015 when Peyton Manning went against Aaron Rodgers.
Stafford completed 40 of 54 passes for 383 yards, including two touchdown passes to Davante Adams and another to Nacua, who had 138 receiving yards.
Allen, who accounted for six touchdowns in a 44-42 loss to the Rams two years ago, completed 12 of 19 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown, and he rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown as the Bills improved to 4-1.
This was supposed to be a special season for the Rams.
But it has turned into a special teams nightmare.
Harrison Mevis failed to convert two field-goal attempts, including a winning kick in overtime that was blocked by Buffalo linebacker Greg Rousseau. The Rams also gave up a 70-yard return on the opening kickoff.
Tyler Bass kicks a 45-yard field goal in overtime to seal the Bills’ 37-34 win over the Rams at SoFi Stadium on Monday night.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
The Rams continued their penalty-filled foibles: They were flagged 11 times for 84 yards, many of the pre-snap variety that drives coach Sean McVay crazy.
Special teams miscues and penalties hampered the Rams in the first half, and they trailed 13-7 at halftime.
The Rams took the lead early in the second half when Stafford engineered a 60-yard drive that ended with Blake Corum’s one-yard touchdown run.
But late in the third quarter, the Bills took the lead on Allen’s touchdown pass to receiver Keon Coleman. The Bills missed the extra-point attempt, leaving them with a 19-14 lead.
The Rams immediately answered, Stafford connecting with tight end Tyler Higbee for 28 yards before Corum caught a pass and turned it into a 34-yard gain. That set up Stafford’s two-yard touchdown pass to Nacua early in the fourth quarter, but Stafford was sacked on a two-point conversion attempt, leaving the Rams with a 20-19 lead.
Rams linebacker Nate Landman punches the ball out of Bills running back James Cook III’s arms during the third quarter Monday.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Allen then directed an 80-yard drive that he capped with a one-yard sneak, and his two-point conversion pass to tight end Dalton Kincaid gave the Bills a 27-20 lead with 11:28 left.
But the Rams tied the score on the next possession off a five-yard touchdown reception by Adams.
Allen, however, got the ball with just over seven minutes left, and had 15- and 21-yard scrambles during a drive that ended with James Cook III scoring on a five-yard run for a 34-27 lead with 1:39 left.
On the ensuing possession, Stafford completed a 14-yard pass to Adams and, one play later, found Nacua for 16 yards and then Adams for 15. A one-handed catch for nine yards by Kyren Williams moved the ball to the one-yard line, and Williams scored on the next play with five seconds left in regulation. Mevis’ extra-point tied the score.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford passes during the first half against the Bills on Monday.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
The Bills got the ball first in overtime, and appeared on their way to a field goal or touchdown when Khalil Shakir gained 57 yards on a catch-and-run to the Rams’ 22. Rams safety Kamren Kinchens prevented Shakir from scoring when he just barely managed to trip up the Buffalo receiver.
But on the next play, linebacker Nate Landman punched the ball from Cook’s grasp and Aaron Donald recovered the fumble with 7:54 left.
Stafford drove the Rams to the Bills’ 30, but the Bills blocked Mevis’ attempt, setting the stage for the Bills’ winning drive.
