Puka Nacua’s pick-denying breakup saved Rams in win over Panthers

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — At Bank of America Stadium on Saturday, Puka Nacua was pure money.

Not only did he score back-to-back touchdowns in the first half, but the All-Pro Rams receiver saved the game in the fourth quarter by denying Carolina an interception.

Puka became PBU-ka.

It’s a shortcut to Pass Breakup, and Nacua executed it beautifully on a sweet, high pass from Matthew Stafford that sailed over Nacua’s head and into the hands of Panthers safety Nick Scott, who was falling back into the end zone.

Nacua, who scored consecutive touchdowns early in the game, suddenly became a defender and released the ball before Scott could secure it.

“I thought [Nacua] “I was going to go up there and post, and I was like, ‘OK, let’s see what you got,’” Stafford said. “I threw it and as soon as I let go, it kind of turned away and it was just tough timing. But what a game to fight and bring that thing down.

It’s a moment that should be memorialized on Nacua’s solid career highlight film, and one that helped him atone for a rare potential touchdown late in the first half.

Nacua should be the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year, and the Rams won’t make the playoffs unless he shows up big game after big game.

“He’s a damn warrior,” coach Sean McVay said.

The Rams discovered something about themselves in the 34-31 victory, a near-disaster for a team favored by 10½ points. They finally found a way to win a game by swinging over a cliff. Every one of their losses this season has come by a touchdown or less, and each time they have come up short – Philadelphia, San Francisco, Carolina, Seattle and Atlanta.

Finally, they answered the call.

Nacua played a vital role in that, catching a game-high 10 passes for 111 yards. On a play in the fourth quarter, he made a catch in the middle of three converging defenders — Stafford ran the ball through a letter slot — and the Panthers trio crashed down Keystone Kops-style. This play knocked star cornerback Jaycee Horn out of the game.

Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua carries the ball in the first quarter against the Carolina Panthers.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

But it’s this pass breakup that will remain etched in the memory of Nacua’s defensive teammates.

“I have to study his skeletal structure because I think he has big bones,” Rams safety Quentin Lake said. “He’s a big guy. But at the same time, he’s just incredible.”

A big fan of LeBron James, Nacua watches the Lakers star’s highlights before taking the football field. Before Saturday’s game, he and Lake had a “King James” debate.

“He asked, ‘What do you think was his best year?’ “, Lake said. “I said 2018, and he said it was 2012, that year in Miami. [when James] was the most valuable player in the NBA and the Finals, and led Team USA to an Olympic gold medal.]He said he was going to be that tonight, and that’s what he did.

As happy as he was with the victory, Nacua was still reliving what might have happened at the end of the first half, when he beat his defender and a precise pass from Stafford slipped through his hands. It could have been a touchdown.

“These are opportunities, man, you can’t miss them,” Nacua said. “A chance to score before halftime, then double because we know we get the ball back [at the start of the third quarter.] This is what the coach is talking about. You never want to drop #9.

Stafford, who wears No. 9, came through after a cold spell when he completed seven straight incomplete passes — his longest such streak with the Rams — and showed surgical precision with his game-winning 19-yard touchdown pass to Colby Parkinson. All that, and the quarterback was dealing with an injured finger on his throwing hand.

As for Nacua’s hands, he cherishes them. He usually gets a manicure before games and wears clear polish on his nails. These hands are his livelihood. However, he didn’t see the beautician the week before this match because his mother was in town so he didn’t have time.

“I’ll be back this week,” he said.

On a day when Rams fans everywhere were biting their nails, Nacua’s hands held up just fine.