Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game for Week 14: Rams WR Puka Nacua

For each game he broadcasts during the 2024 NFL season all the way through Super Bowl LIX, FOX Sports lead NFL analyst Tom Brady is awarding his LFG Player of the Game to that one player he sees on the field who makes him say …

“LET’S F***ING GO!!!”

In Week 14, the honor went to Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua after their thrilling 44-42 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Los Angeles improved to 7-6, helping it keep pace with the Seattle Seahawks as it trails them by a game in the NFC West race.

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Nacua was a major reason for the Rams’ victory over the Bills. He had 12 receptions on 14 targets for 162 yards and a touchdown. As Matthew Stafford connected with Nacua often throughout Sunday’s game, Brady quipped that the exciting receptions the second-year receiver made caused him to lose his voice in the booth.

The most dramatic connection between the two came right after the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter. Holding a 38-35 lead, the Rams dialed up a play for Nacua when they were facing a third-and-5 at the Buffalo 19-yard line. With some help from Cooper Kupp and the Rams’ blockers, Nacua took the screen pass and ran into the end zone to give his team a 44-35 advantage.

Nacua implied in his conversation with Brady that the play call was Stafford’s decision after seeing the way the Bills defense lined up.

Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game: Rams’ Puka Nacua | Week 14 DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE

“Matthew’s coming into the huddle while we’re fresh out of that timeout and he says, ‘Man, if we get a zero blitz right here, we’re gonna get ready to go to our screen play,'” Nacua told Brady. “I trust Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford so much. Coop being able to get out to that corner, we had to press up on that corner. We were looking for 1-on-1s and being able to get a screen off.

“Big Rob Havenstein, I just think of all the veterans that made an impact on that play. Being able to run off in the end zone felt fantastic.”

That wasn’t the final score of Sunday’s game, though. The Bills had one more touchdown in them as Josh Allen rushed for a score in the final minute to make it a 44-42 game. It was Allen’s third rushing touchdown along with three passing touchdowns, making him the first player to ever have that many of each in one game.

As the MVP frontrunner Allen brought his A game to Los Angeles, Nacua knew the Rams would have to do the same, if not more.

“We were hitting on all cylinders in the first half, but it requires all four quarters,” Nacua said. “Coming out of halftime, Coach [Sean] McVay and Matthew [were] just preaching that, ‘Man, we’ve just gotta keep straining.’

“We know what they had in No. 17 on the other side of the ball and the possibilities of him to make plays. So, we’re counting on our defense. But man, every time the offense stepped on the field, we need six points for sure.”

Nacua also did some damage on the ground against Buffalo. He got five carries for 16 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown run late in the first half.

Nacua shared with Brady the Samoan meaning of Puka, which is actually a nickname and not his first name, and how it might have related to his success on Sunday.

“My grandma gave me that name. It means fat, chubby,” Nacua said. “So, that’s why I think on some of those run plays, Coach is like, ‘I trust him with the ball.’”

“Ah, you got some Pukas up front,” Brady replied. “You’re not Puka anymore.”

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