Prior to his injury, Puka Nacua was playing like one of the best players in the NFL. Through five games, Nacua caught 52 passes for 588 yards and a pair of touchdowns. But he went down with an ankle injury, which has sidelined him for a couple of weeks.

Losing someone like Nacua is never easy. He is arguably the best receiver in the league, and even when the defense knows he’s getting the ball on almost every throw, there’s nothing they can do to stop him. And when your offense is centered around one player like that, it’s easy for things to go wrong when he’s out.

The Los Angeles Rams didn’t let that happen, though.

Instead, Rams Head Coach Sean McVay challenged his coaching staff, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. They wanted to show that they’re not just dependent on Nacua, and they can spread the ball around to a whole bunch of receivers. And they did just that on Sunday, scoring 35 points while setting an NFL record through the air.

Why losing Puka Nacua was a blessing in disguise for the Rams

After the game, McVay spoke about the game with Rich Eisen. They discussed Nacua’s injury, how they overcame it and why it was a blessing in disguise for their team.

“In our broadcast meeting with you, you talked about how Puka Nacua being out was going to be a challenge for you and your staff, and how you maybe became a little bit Puka dependent because he’s so damn good,” said Eisen. “You then have 10 different guys catch a football in this game, including two rookies for touchdowns. First time in five years the Rams had that, so did you check the box? Did you accomplish what you wanted in the end?”

“Yeah, I think it was really cool,” said McVay. “I think what ended up happening is sometimes these things that are challenges can be blessings in disguise. What I mean by that is we’re always going to have Puka, when he’s up, as a focal point, but also, hey let’s let’s not in the meantime lose sight of, you know, we’ve got Puka, we’ve got Davante [Adams] but we’ve got these other players that we want to take advantage of.

“My dad’s talked to me about this before. We always talk about how everybody likes being a part of something bigger than themselves, but only as long as they feel like their role contributes,” McVay continued. “We’ve got these great players that we want to take advantage of them, and I thought that was illustrated by being able to have multiple personnel groupings, multiple guys involved, and where they’ve got some plays where they could maybe be the primary in a progression. Then it allows those other guys to be a little bit fresher.”

Their plan worked to success. Even with Nacua out, they dominated the Jaguars in London, where Jacksonville is accustomed to playing every year. It was incredible how much success they found offensively with Nacua out.

Rams’ success in London without Nacua

The Rams traveled to London last week with Nacua on the sidelines. They were facing a tough Jacksonville Jaguars team that was 4-2 entering the game. The Rams were narrow favorites without their top offensive weapon, but it didn’t matter as they crushed the Jags, 35-7.

It was utter domination, and the best part about it was how successful they were through the air. Matthew Stafford threw for 182 yards and five touchdowns, setting the NFL single-game record for most passing touchdowns in London. He also completed at least one pass to 10 different receivers, something that had never been done in the Sean McVay-era.

This game showed that, no matter who’s out, the Rams offense can be just as efficient. They can work around injuries as well as anybody. So, as long as Stafford is the one taking the snap, they’re going to be successful.

This was a statement game for the Rams to the rest of the NFC. Even without their best offensive player, they put 35 points on the board against an AFC contender. The race for the No. 1 seed in the NFC is going to be tight. But right now, the Rams are looking like one of the favorites.