Over the last two years, there haven’t been many quarterback-wide receiver duos better than the Los Angeles Rams’ Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua. Last season, the duo caught 98 passes for 1,413 yards and five touchdowns. Even though Nacua was sidelined this season due to injury, the duo picked up right where they left off and were dangerous. That was evident in last week’s win over the Buffalo Bills, when Nacua had 12 catches on 14 targets for 162 yards and a touchdown.

Since Nacua returned to action in Week 8, the Rams wide receiver has become the third-most targeted wide receiver in the NFL and leads the NFL in targets per route run. Nacua also ranks fourth in the NFL in receptions. Stafford was the quarterback throughout this entire period. From a quarterback perspective, since Nacua’s return in Week 8, Stafford is fourth in yards, tied for second in the NFL in touchdown passes and fifth in EPA per play.

When Stafford and Nacua are on the field together, they benefit each other and the Rams offense simply performs better. From Weeks 2 to 7, the Rams’ offense ranked 24th in EPA, while Stafford ranked 25th. Since then, the Rams once again rank seventh in offensive EPA and Stafford is fifth. From an offensive standpoint, they are one of the most dangerous threats in the NFL.

Earlier this week, ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky ranked the top quarterback and wide receiver duos in the NFL this season. Stafford and Nacua came in 13th. Said Orlovsky,

“Nacua – who missed time earlier this season with a knee injury – comes open and Stafford gives him a chance to make a play. It really comes down to timing. These two have such strong chemistry and trust; Stafford will get the ball where it needs to be and when it needs to be, and Nacua has the hands to move the chains.”

That’s not to say that Stafford and Nacua should be considered the best quarterback-receiver duo in the NFL. However, 13th place seems extremely low. In other words, Orlovsky ranked 12th among other quarterback-wide receiver duos, ahead of Stafford and Nacua. These duos are:

• Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase
• Jalen Hurts and AJ Brown
• Sam Darnold and Justin Jefferson
• Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown
• Lamar Jackson and Zay Flowers
• CJ Stroud and Nico Collins
• Russell Wilson and George Pickens
• Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill
• Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin
• Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans
• Patrick Mahomes and DeAndre Hopkins
• Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey

Burrow and Chase are obvious and the same goes for Hurts and Brown. Cases can certainly be made for Goff and St. Brown and Stroud and Collins. However, Nacua and Stafford shouldn’t be ranked below Wilson and Pickens, let alone six spots below them. Mahomes and Hopkins have just started playing together. Hopkins had 157 receiving yards in the last three games. Nacua had 162 yards in his last game alone.

Stafford continues to prove that he is one of the most talented quarterbacks in the NFL and can compete with the best. One argument against Cooper Kupp was that he wasn’t the flashiest wide receiver. However, Nacua seems to make an eye-catching play almost every week.

Somehow, Nacua remains one of the NFL’s most underrated playmakers. His EPA per route, at 0.22, is higher than any other player on Orlovsky’s roster. McLaurin comes closest at 0.19.

Nacua just played his 25th career game against the Bills on Sunday. In a player’s first 25 games he has:

• Second most receptions (159). Only Odell Beckham Jr. has more (176).
• Fourth-most yards (2,194). Only Justin Jefferson, Beckham Jr. Charlie Hennigan and Bill Groman have more.
• Second most 100-yard games (11). Only Beckham Jr. (15) has more.
• Nacua is the fifth player ever with 10+ rec and 100+ yards in three or more games.

From a statistical perspective, Nacua is on par with the best young wide receivers to ever play the game, like Jefferson and Beckham. However, he is not mentioned as someone in this conversation.

The Rams are entering the final stretch of games and will need to perform well if this team wants to make the playoffs. With both of them on the field, the Rams are 5-2 and just picked up their biggest win of the season against the Bills. Nacua has shown time and time again that he is a big player, and it doesn’t get much bigger than a prime-time Week 15 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.