Defensive coordinators are predictable creatures. They see Matthew Stafford back there, aging and static, and they think a heavy blitz is the magic bullet. It is a trap. Every time they send the house, they just hand-deliver the ball to Puka Nacua.
In 2025, Nacua turned blitz-busting into an art form. He sat out one game with an injury, but over the other 16, his targets per route run (TPRR) when Stafford faced extra rushers hit a ridiculous 37.0%. Nobody else was even close. Keenan Allen managed 33.3%. Nico Collins hit 33.0%. Even Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who walked away with the 2025 Offensive Player of the Year award, lagged behind at 32.3%. Nacua was the ultimate release valve.
It makes sense. Look at the raw numbers. Nacua finished the year fourth in total targets, first in receptions, and second in receiving yards. He also topped every wideout in the league with a massive 112.3 Expected Points Added (EPA) on his targets. He was money. Pure and simple.
Stafford, of course, loved every second of it. The guy is a surgeon under pressure. He took home the MVP trophy behind 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdowns, despite defenses sending extra rushers 159 times—the fourth-highest blitz count in the league. They tried to break him. They failed.
This is what happens when you pair a fearless quarterback with a receiver who finds space in a phone booth. Credit Sean McVay, too. His scheme puts playmakers in position to succeed, regardless of the defensive chaos. If these two stay healthy, expect the same bloodbath in 2026. Defensive coordinators never learn.
