Puka Nacua’s third-quarter unsportsmanlike conduct penalty wound up costing the Los Angeles Rams valuable points in their seven-point loss Sunday.
Yet, the Rams’ All-Pro wideout still isn’t sure what he did wrong.
Nacua opened about what happened on his penalty that stunted a key second-half drive in their 33-26 road loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Rams, of course, coughed up a 26-7 second-half advantage and fell to 2-1, despite Nacua’s 11-catch, 112-yard performance in defeat.
The Rams’ road won’t get any easier, since they will take on the undefeated Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
What Did Puka Nacua Do To Get An Unsportsmanlike Conduct Penalty?
Nacua has run hot before, since he was ejected for throwing a punch in the Rams’ OT win in Seattle last season. Yet, he is one of the cleanest players in the NFL, since his penalty yesterday was his eighth accepted penalty in three seasons, and the first taunting foul of his career.
Leading by five, Nacua executed a 20-yard catch and run that had LA set up at the Eagles 40-yard line. Yet, the Rams were sent back after Nacua flexed over Jihaad Campbell, which is what earned him a 15-yard penalty for taunting.
The fact Nacua appeared to taunt Campbell is why officials threw the flag. But to Nacua, the gesture was no different than his normal first-down celebration.
“They said it was the flexing,” Nacua said. “It’s something I’ve kind of done on all the first downs. I didn’t feel like that one was any different on my end.”
The call was enormous, since the foul sent LA back to its own 45-yard line. LA then gained nine yards, which could have meant a 48-yard field goal and the chance to go ahead 29-21.
Instead, the Rams were stopped on downs when running back Kyren Williams was stuffed by Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter.
Nacua cited A.J. Brown’s potential excessive celebration — on Philadelphia’s last drive, where he gained 25 yards on a third-and-10 from its own 9-yard line — as a similar flex on a similar play that was not called by the officials.
“Kind of difficult when you see there was a big third-down catch for A.J. Brown where we have guys on the floor, kind of bodies nearby, and he has a big celebration on a big third-down conversion,” Nacua said. “I feel like that play was very similar. I didn’t think it went both ways.”
Will Puka Nacua Change His Celebrating After Being Flagged?
Nacua said he does not want to change his usual flexing celebration for first downs, but he did say he intends to be smarter in the wake of his costly infraction.
“I definitely will be, pregame, asking some questions and making the refs aware of how I’m doing it,” Nacua said.
But Nacua stated his flexing is a confidence boost both for himself and for his teammates, which is why he feels important about it not changing drastically.
“It’s something that kind of speaks to our room and kind of my place now,” Nacua said.
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