"It's a combination of a bunch of reps is what it is, reading body language, understanding plays that maybe we've run together in the past that we call different now against a different look that might shake out the same," Stafford said. "Every time you get reps with guys, those bank. Those bank in your head on what you could do better or, 'Oh man, let's do that again, whatever that is.'"
McVay called Nacua the "focal point" of the Rams' offense. He's in the middle of almost every play L.A. runs because the mere threat of his involvement is enough to influence the defense.
"If you're a defense and you're going up against him… you've got to defend all the blades of grass," Stafford said. "Are we going to hand it to him? Are we going to throw it to him? Is he going to lead block for us in a run play, or is he going to slip out into the flat, catch it, and run for another 15?"
And once he has the rock tucked under his arm, Nacua is one of the toughest players in the league to bring down. If you add in the forced missed tackle he created on his long rushing touchdown against the Titans, only three receivers have escaped more would-be tacklers than Nacua this season.
He never tries to avoid hits, but puts his head down and plows through them instead, saying "Those are some of those second thoughts, they just never make it to the front."
"He talks about being the hammer, not the nail," [Yarber told ESPN](https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/46448076/los-angeles-rams-wide-receiver-puka-nacua-tough). "And that makes your run after catch that much more violent. DBs don't want to hit you, they're going to go low and they lose their technique and stuff like that. So when you're physical – more physical than them – they don't want to tackle you."
That mindset, and the effect it has on defenders, has made him one of the most revered blockers at the receiver position.
### Blocking
The Rams don't utilize a typical fullback, as many offensive coaches from the Mike/Kyle Shanahan tree do. Instead they bring tight ends and receivers inside to lead block for the running back, and Nacua is often put in that role.
It's very uncommon for a team's No. 1 receiver, or really any receiver, to pull inside to block linebackers and defensive linemen consistently, but Nacua isn't a typical receiver. The grit and brute strength that he generates is put to good use in the trenches, and he enjoys that part of the game.