There wasn’t a lot for both workforce to play for within the Week 18 matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers.
The 49ers had already clinched the NFC’s No. 1 seed and the Rams had been going to be within the Playoffs as both a No. 6 or No. 7 seed. With that, practically each star from each groups rested, with the notable exception of Puka Nacua.
Nacua was on the verge of creating NFL historical past by breaking each the rookie receptions and receiving yards report. He was 4 catches and 29 yards away from securing each heading into the Rams’ remaining recreation. And maybe nobody was extra conscious of this than 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Shanahan knew that Nacua wanted to play in some portion of Week 18 to make historical past, and it gave the pinnacle coach some motivation in a recreation that was in any other case meaningless for him. His mission was to increase Nacua’s recreation as a lot as doable.
“No, we talked. We each knew what this recreation was for each of us,” Shanahan stated of his pregame conversations with Sean McVay. “However we each know we need to win, however very first thing is making an attempt to maintain our gamers secure. We had been simply making an attempt our butts off to maintain them from getting another yard and another completion to Puka so he may play him the entire recreation.”
Shanahan was certainly not rooting for an harm to Nacua however he hoped to fatigue him for the Rams’ postseason recreation subsequent week by requiring him to play the total recreation. After all, that didn’t work. Nacua set the data on the 11:59 mark of the third quarter and was promptly faraway from the sport.
“Oh yeah. Our aim was to simply hold him going the entire recreation. However we knew it was going to be powerful. We knew he solely wanted another catch and another yard, however we tried our hardest,” Shanahan admitted.
Shanahan stated the motivation to do that got here from the information that he’s not the one head coach with one of these mindset.
“No, I’d anticipate it,” Shanahan stated when requested if the state of affairs was reversed. “That’s why we’d throw to another person open. I hoped they had been going to try this, however I feel they wished to get him out fairly quick. I’m simply glad he needed to come within the third. It was a small victory.”
The Rams would go on to win the sport behind Carson Wentz’s three touchdowns to safe the No. 6 seed within the NFC and a Wild Card Weekend matchup with the Detroit Lions.
Carson Wentz had plenty of enjoyable beginning for Rams
Getting the win might not have been massively vital for the Rams, however it was a massive second for Wentz in his first begin in over a 12 months.
“It was enjoyable. It was plenty of enjoyable,” Wentz stated. “It’s been over a 12 months for me since I received recreation motion and it’s been a bizarre 12 months and season for me, however I had plenty of enjoyable on the market. It was enjoyable to get to win, particularly. However simply taking part in with these guys, a few of the guys I’ve been taking apply reps with on scout workforce, totally different faces on the market. All of us had plenty of enjoyable and getting the win was even nicer.”