Bears' Dennis Allen: It will 'take an exceptional effort' to slow Rams WRs Puka Nacua, Davante Adams

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2026-01-17

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The Chicago Bears know a battle awaits Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams when it comes to slowing L.A.’s wide receiver duo, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.

“It’s going to take an exceptional effort on our part to give ourselves a chance,” Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said, via the Chicago Sun-Times.

In the Rams’ wild-card win over Carolina, Nacua and Adams combined for 15 catches, 183 receiving yards and a touchdown. Nacua posted 10 grabs for 111 yards and the score on 18 targets. Adams, in his first game back after missing three tilts with a hamstring injury, snagged just 5 of 13 targets but generated 72 yards.

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Nacua is the key to the L.A. offense, leading the NFL with 129 catches in 2025 and finishing second in the league with 1,715 yards. The powerful wideout’s ability to make contested catches, coupled with his run-after-catch ability, makes him a handful for any defense. The only time Nacua faced an Allen-led defense, in 2023 against the New Orleans Saints, he put up 164 yards and a TD on nine grabs.

“You come away from there thoroughly impressed,” Allen said of Nacua. “He runs as fast as he needs to to get the job done. He’s big, he’s physical. He catches everything that’s remotely close to him and he’s tremendous with the run after the catch. I just think he does everything that you want a receiver to be able to do.”

Nacua’s fearlessness at the point of attack and sticky hands leads to some ridiculous catches. He’s also a bully with the ball in his hands and is faster on the field than his 4.57-yard 40 time indicates.

“He might not be the fastest, but he’s damn sure one of the toughest,” cornerback Chauncey Gardner-Johnson said.

Chicago knows Adams’ ability well from his time in Green Bay. Only Calvin Johnson Jr. has more receiving touchdowns (11) than Adams (10) against the Bears in the Super Bowl era. Adams led the NFL with 14 receiving touchdowns despite missing the final three games of the season. He’s a weapon in the red zone that Chicago must keep out of paydirt Sunday.

The Bears ranked 29th in total defense (361.8 total YPG allowed), 22nd in pass defense (227.2 YPG), and allowed 32 passing touchdowns (fifth-most) in 2025.