The L.A. meltdown started long before the Rams’ special teams allowed the Seahawks back into the game Thursday night. It started because Puka Nacua was fooled by two childish livestreamers 48 hours earlier. Nacua participated in hurtful behavior for the sake of cheap laughs and creating viral content for his new buddies, who have made a lucrative living off controversy.

Nacua made plays Thursday night, but he failed his team and fans after his series of dumb decisions ahead of the showdown against the Seahawks. Nacua’s reputation took a hit after his appearance on the livestream, and many watching Thursday Night Football likely enjoyed seeing Nacua and the Rams blow a two-touchdown lead in the second half before completing the collapse in overtime with a 38–37 defeat. 

Nacua’s poor decisions were a distraction for the team, even if an agitated coach Sean McVay didn’t want to admit it in the postgame. Yes, Nacua put up a monster performance against Seattle—12 catches, 225 yards, two TDs—but there was McVay, having to answer more questions about his star receiver than the team’s implosion. I’m sure that was annoying and confusing to the Rams’ coach.  

No longer can L.A. be trusted as a Super Bowl favorite, because on the field, the team has more issues than a star receiver who lacks awareness when it’s not game day. Matthew Stafford and Nacua have masked L.A.’s roster issues for most of the season, but the Rams’ poor special teams and suspect defense were exposed in Seattle. 

Edge rusher Jared Verse, who’s in the midst of a disappointing second season, was nowhere to be found when it mattered most. L.A.’s secondary has gotten the bulk of the blame whenever rocky defensive performances occur, including in the losses to the Panthers, 49ers and Eagles. But the Rams have invested a handful of high draft picks in their defensive front, and that unit hasn’t come close to being as dominant as last season. 

The Rams thought they were over their special teams problem—let’s not forget the blocked kicks earlier this season—when they turned to kicker Harrison Mevis and waived Joshua Karthy, but Mevis missed a costly 48-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter. And the Seahawks’ comeback started after L.A.’s coverage team allowed Rashid Shaheed to score on a 58-yard punt return with 8:03 left in regulation. 

The Rams (11–4) can still win the NFC West if they get some help from the Panthers and 49ers, Seattle’s final two opponents and the same teams that exposed L.A.’s roster issues earlier this season. The Rams finish at the Falcons and will host the Cardinals in the regular-season finale. 

But we probably shouldn’t be surprised about the Rams’ meltdown after Nacua decided to join a controversial livestream two days before the biggest game of the regular season. 

Hours after issuing an apology for promising the streamers that he would do a touchdown celebration believed to be antisemitic in nature, Nacua started the process of having to prove himself again, not just as a football player, but as a dependable ambassador of the franchise. Nacua routinely shows why he’s a special playmaker, putting the team on his back during the second-half free fall, including a 41-yard touchdown reception in overtime. But Nacua’s clutch plays didn’t make up for his lack of awareness earlier in the week. He participated in childish behavior, made reckless accusations about officials, saying many make calls solely for the spotlight, and acted offensively by promising a touchdown celebration with antisemitic undertones. All that was missing was a deleted controversial tweet, but Nacua decided to check that one off after the loss by taking another shot at the referees after the game.  

Nacua even asked McVay, on a short game week with a lot at stake, if he could invite his livestreamer buddies—two people who act as school bullies who feed off embarrassing others—into the team’s facility. 

Nacua wisely didn’t deliver on the promise he made to one of the bullies after scoring in the third quarter and later in overtime—which, again, he had apologized for by game time. In the moment, he either wanted to be one of the cool kids or got caught up in the pressure of delivering viral content. 

Nacua will likely cash in big during the offseason—he will be eligible for an extension—because he’s gifted as a football player. But he still has a ways to go to prove he’s reliable and capable of making smart decisions off the field. 

Again, McVay doesn’t believe Nacua was a distraction for himself or the team with his livestream appearances. But there are reasons why the livestream kept coming up, even after one of the wildest games of the regular season.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Puka Nacua’s Poor Decisions Off the Field Overshadow His Greatness on It.

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