Sean McVay opened his Friday news conference by answering the question he knew was coming. Two days after he said on Wednesday that Puka Nacua would stay on the 53-man roster, the Los Angeles Rams’ receiver went on injured reserve on Thursday night with his knee injury. The 5-4 Rams, ninth in the NFC, play the 3-6 Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on Sunday, November 15, at 4:05 p.m. ET, which is 11:05 p.m. in Cairo.
McVay also went through the Rams’ injury list, and Myles Garrett followed him to the podium a week after his three-sack return in Washington. The Rams posted both sessions.
“We needed the roster spot”
“I’m sure you guys are wondering what changed with Puka,” McVay said. “We needed the roster spot. You know, we didn’t need it initially.” He said Nacua’s timeline has not changed. “There was never going to be a time that he was going to be able to return prior to anyway,” he said. “Some things changed where we needed that spot because of all the moving pieces. That was what we did to be able to get Brennan Presley up.” He said Nacua is “in good spirits” and will “start his rehab and take it a little bit at a time.”
The Rams signed Presley, a receiver, from their practice squad to the active roster on Thursday. Davante Adams and Jordan Whittington are also on injured reserve. “It’s really just his consistency of how he shows up at practice,” McVay said of Presley. “He’s just one of those guys that makes the plays when his number’s called.” He said Presley can play several spots, help on special teams and return kicks, along with Xavier Smith and Ronnie Rivers.
McVay also praised rookie receiver CJ Daniels, who is set for a bigger role. “Just maturity,” he said. “He plays big at the catch point. You know, he’s got a physicality, a lot of the things that you’re looking for for our receivers.”
Garrett questionable but expected to play
Garrett did not practice on Friday and is listed as questionable. Asked whether he expects Garrett to play, McVay said: “I do.” “He’s feeling good,” McVay said. “It’s more of just getting him feeling as good as possible. He’s had a really good week. Played a bunch of snaps and expect him to be able to build on that, but we’re being smart with him.”
Guard Steve Avila (hamstring) and tight end Terrance Ferguson are out. Cornerback Trent McDuffie and safety Kam Curl were limited on Friday and are questionable. McVay said he feels good about both, but “a lot of it is going to be contingent upon how does that limited work go today.” The final report also listed tight end Davis Allen and long snapper Joe Cardona as questionable, though McVay said he expects all four of his tight ends to be ready.
“Watch 22”
Without Nacua and Adams, McVay leaned on Matthew Stafford. “There’s just a confidence that he breathes because of how calm he is,” he said, “and that rubs off on everybody else in the huddle.” A reporter noted that Arizona blitzed often and hit Stafford hard several times in the first meeting. “Protecting Matthew will always be at a premium and at the forefront of our minds,” McVay said, “regardless of whether you have two of those premier players or not.”
Asked why younger defensive backs call McDuffie “the blueprint,” McVay pointed to his consistency and how he lifts others. “He’s the blueprint because he models the way,” he said. “If you were a young guy coming in and you said, ‘Hey, what does it look like to do things the right way?’ Watch 22 and you’ll be in great shape.” He added: “As good as I thought he would be, he’s been that much better.”
He was also asked about the shadow-boxing league that players run in the locker room. He said he likes hearing laughter around the building, but he will not be joining. “I don’t think I’d be very good at that. I’m too stupid to understand it,” he said. “Things always get quiet when I come around. … You walk up, it gets quiet, players are walking up, nobody likes me. … I’m lonely.”
Garrett: “I felt tired as hell”
Garrett missed seven games with a knee injury before he had three sacks and a forced fumble as the Rams beat the Commanders 20-13 on November 8. Asked how he felt after his first game since the season opener, he said: “I felt tired as hell, as you can tell, when I sat on my helmet.” He blamed part of it on a late two-minute drill. “I haven’t run two-minute, I guess, in like a year,” he said. “You can only get in football shape by playing football.”
He was harder on himself about his first step. “Oh, it felt terrible,” he said. “I felt like I was a little bit slow and it kind of picked up in the second half.” He said he is still working back into a rhythm. “We’re not 100,” he said, “and we’re trying to make our way there.”
On Sunday he will face Carson Beck, the Cardinals’ rookie, in his first NFL start. Garrett expects Arizona to protect him with screens, draws and quick throws. “They’re going to do everything to try and protect him and make the game easy on him,” he said. “They’re going to try to use the snap count as a weapon, either going fast or trying to hard count us.”
Asked whether the defense has to make up for what the offense is missing, Garrett said no. “Some of the guys who are stepping up have just been waiting for their moment to go out there and succeed,” he said. He also praised linebacker Nate Landman: “Man’s a baller. … I’ve never seen someone have the ability to punch the ball out and be so successful at it as him.” And on Aaron Donald, who returned to the Rams this season: “I see him smiling a lot now. So I’m assuming he wasn’t doing that before. I like to think it’s me, but I think he just enjoys being back in the building with the guys.”
Garrett also claimed the top spot in the shadow-boxing league. “I was top dog where I left, and I’m top dog now,” he said. “I don’t back down from a challenge. I just haven’t lost.”
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