Locals in the NFL: Puka Nacua’s career day ends in heartbreak as Rams fall to Bills in OT
Oct 12, 2026, 10:12 PM
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 12: Puka Nacua #12 of the Los Angeles Rams catches a touchdown pass against Davison Igbinosun #21 of the Buffalo Bills during the fourth quarter of the game at SoFi Stadium on October 12, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
(Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES – Puka Nacua caught more passes than ever before. The Los Angeles Rams still came up one score short.
The former BYU star finished with a career-high 17 receptions for 138 yards and a touchdown in a 37-34 overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills. His 24 targets also were a career high, and he finished one catch shy of the Rams’ single-game reception record set in 1950.
Nacua helped give Los Angeles a fourth-quarter lead, contributed to its late push to force overtime and then moved the Rams within reach of a winning field goal. But a blocked kick left his record-setting performance without the finish Los Angeles needed.
Puka Nacua put up a career high in receptions vs. the Bills in the loss on MNF.
What a game by the Rams WR despite not getting the win 👏 https://t.co/YHiiLOjVvM
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) October 13, 2026
His first overtime catch appeared to put the Rams in position to win.
After Aaron Donald recovered a James Cook III fumble to end Buffalo’s opening possession, Nacua gained 22 yards on his career-best 16th reception, moving Los Angeles toward field goal range.
The opportunity slipped away when Greg Rousseau blocked the Rams’ 48-yard attempt. Buffalo later connected from 45 yards out with 1:55 remaining in overtime to win.
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Recapping Puka Nacua’s night
The finish spoiled a night in which Nacua was a frequent target from the opening quarter.
He caught four passes for 24 yards in a scoreless first quarter for Los Angeles, then added two receptions on the Rams’ first possession of the second quarter.
Even when the ball went elsewhere, he played a role: His short crossing route helped create space for Davante Adams to catch Matthew Stafford’s 4-yard touchdown pass.
Nacua’s breakthrough came early in the fourth quarter with Los Angeles trailing 19-14. He caught three passes on a six-play drive, finishing with a 2-yard touchdown reception that put the Rams up 20-19. It was his 12th catch on 17 targets.
The throw by Matthew Stafford and catch by Puka Nacua 🙌
@BUFvsLAR on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/G0o0x71xZY— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2026
Buffalo responded with a five-play, 80-yard touchdown drive. Josh Allen scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak, then found Dalton Kincaid for the 2-point conversion, giving the Bills a 27-20 lead with 11:28 remaining.
By the time Los Angeles began its final possession of regulation, the deficit was 34-27. Cook’s 5-yard touchdown run had put Buffalo back in front with 1:39 left.
Nacua helped keep the Rams alive, matching his previous career high of 15 catches with a 16-yard reception on the ensuing drive. Stafford kept looking his way, including an end-zone throw that sailed out of reach.
Los Angeles finished the eight-play, 63-yard march with Kyren Williams’ 1-yard touchdown run with five seconds remaining. Harrison Mevis’ extra point tied it at 34 and forced overtime.
Buffalo threatened immediately in the extra period when Khalil Shakir turned a reception into a 57-yard gain. But Cook fumbled on the next play, and Donald recovered, giving the Rams a chance to win on any score.
Puka Nacua wide open for the first down to put the Rams in field goal range ‼️
@BUFvsLAR on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/CeFeEGgdzY— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2026
Nacua helped move them closer. The blocked field goal kept them from nailing down the win.
On a night when Los Angeles turned to Nacua a career-high 24 times, he helped deliver a lead, a comeback and a chance to win. The Rams couldn’t turn those opportunities into a win.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in the NFL, Locals in MLB, and the Utah State Aggies. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.
Parts of this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team.
