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

For each game it broadcasts in 2024 The NFL all season long past Super Bowl LIX, FOX Sports’ leading NFL analyst Tom Brady he rewards his own LFG Player of the Game to that one player he saw on the field that made him say…

“LET’S F*** GO!!!”

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

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Nacua was a big reason for the Rams’ win over the Bills. He had 12 receptions on 14 targets for 162 yards and a touchdown. As Matthew Stafford connected with Nacua repeatedly throughout Sunday’s game, Brady joked that the second-year wide receiver’s impressive reception caused him to lose his voice in the booth.

The surprising connection between the two came after the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter. Taking a 38-35 lead, the Rams drove the game to Nacua on third-and-5 at the Buffalo 19-yard line. With some help from Cooper Kupp and the Rams defenders, Nacua took a screen pass and ran into the end zone to give his team a 44-35 lead.

Nacua said in his interview with Brady that the play call was Stafford’s decision after seeing how the Bills’ defense was organized.

“Matthew will meet when we’re young at that time and say, ‘Man, if we get zero blitz right here, we’ll be ready to go on our screen play,'” Nacua told Brady. “I have a lot of faith in Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford. Coop is able to get out of the corner, we had to press in that corner. We wanted 1-on-1 and we were able to close the screen.

“Big Rob Havenstein, I think about all the veterans and that had an impact on that game. To be able to run in the end zone felt good.”

However, those were not the final scores of Sunday’s game. The Bills had one touchdown in it 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 and three passing touchdowns, making him the first player ever to have that many in a single game.

With reigning MVP Allen bringing 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 took all four quarters,” Nacua said. “It’s time for a break, Coach [Sean] McVay and Matthew [were] I’m just preaching, ‘Man, we’ve got to keep working hard.’

“We know what they had in No. 17 on the other side of the ball and his opportunities to make plays. So, we rely on our defense. But man, every time the offense gets on the field, we need six points for sure.”

Nacua also did some damage on the ground against Buffalo. He caught five balls 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 a nickname that is not his first name, and how it may have related to his success on Sunday.

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

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

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