Blaine GrisakNov 13, 2026
Grisak laid out the Rams' injury situation heading out of the bye, projecting that Puka Nacua will miss the four-game stretch against the Cardinals, Packers, Chiefs and 49ers after going on injured reserve, that Davante Adams will miss at least the Packers game with Steve Avila likely out too, and that the 49ers will hold onto Brandon Aiyuk for roughly two more weeks because of the Commissioner's Exempt List.
Published in writing · Sports IllustratedRead the original
What Blaine Grisak said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromWith Nacua set to go on injured reserve, he will be out at least four games.
- Where it was published
- Sports Illustrated
- The piece
- Rams Midweek Report: Are the Playoffs Still Realistic? Puka Nacua to IR, and Trade Deadline Leftovers
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- 1Availability Calls“His absence against the Cardinals, Packers, Chiefs, and 49ers certainly makes things interesting. (game vs. Packers)”
- 2Availability Calls“His absence against the Cardinals, Packers, Chiefs, and 49ers certainly makes things interesting. (game vs. Chiefs)”
- 3Availability Calls“The Rams will be without Adams for at least the Packers game and likely Avila as well.”
- 4Availability Calls“With Nacua set to go on injured reserve, he will be out at least four games... His absence against the Cardinals, Packers, Chiefs, and 49ers certainly makes things interesting.”
- 5Availability Calls“The Rams will be without Adams for at least the Packers game and likely Avila as well.”
- 6Brandon Aiyuk to stay with San Francisco 49ers“However, with Aiyuk on the Commissioner's Exempt List, the 49ers are likely to hold on to him for the next two weeks.”
- 7Availability Calls“His absence against the Cardinals, Packers, Chiefs, and 49ers certainly makes things interesting. (game vs. 49ers)”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| “His absence against the Cardinals, Packers, Chiefs, and 49ers…”1 | Availability Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| “His absence against the Cardinals, Packers, Chiefs, and 49ers…”2 | Availability Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| “The Rams will be without Adams for at least the Packers game…”3 | Availability Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| “With Nacua set to go on injured reserve, he will be out at…”4 | Availability Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| “The Rams will be without Adams for at least the Packers game…”5 | Availability Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Brandon Aiyuk to stay with San Francisco 49ers6 | Trade and Signing Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| “His absence against the Cardinals, Packers, Chiefs, and 49ers…”7 | Availability Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| 7 calls · 7 waiting | — | — | ||||
How each call scored
7 checkable claims — 6 availability calls and 1 trade and signing call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 6 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Each call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same calls; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.
1Availability CallsPuka NacuaLos Angeles Rams
“His absence against the Cardinals, Packers, Chiefs, and 49ers certainly makes things interesting. (game vs. Packers)”
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
2Availability CallsPuka NacuaLos Angeles Rams
“His absence against the Cardinals, Packers, Chiefs, and 49ers certainly makes things interesting. (game vs. Chiefs)”
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
3Availability CallsSteve AvilaLos Angeles Rams
“The Rams will be without Adams for at least the Packers game and likely Avila as well.”
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
4Availability CallsPuka NacuaLos Angeles Rams
“With Nacua set to go on injured reserve, he will be out at least four games... His absence against the Cardinals, Packers, Chiefs, and 49ers certainly makes things interesting.”
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
5Availability CallsDavante AdamsLos Angeles Rams
“The Rams will be without Adams for at least the Packers game and likely Avila as well.”
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
6Trade and Signing CallsBrandon AiyukSan Francisco 49ers
Brandon Aiyuk to stay with San Francisco 49ers
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
7Availability CallsPuka NacuaLos Angeles Rams
“His absence against the Cardinals, Packers, Chiefs, and 49ers certainly makes things interesting. (game vs. 49ers)”
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Colin Cowherd · Trade and Signing Calls · Matthew Stafford · Hit 100
Cowherd predicts Matt Stafford stays with the Rams rather than moving on, and says Travis Hunter may underachieve because they're being asked to play both ways — Cowherd doubts they're a No. 1 receiver and would slot them as a No. 2 receiver while being a No. 1 corner.Colin Cowherd · Trade and Signing Calls · Matthew Stafford · Hit 100
Cowherd believes Matt Stafford's public negotiation posturing means he ultimately stays in Los Angeles, and he flags Travis Hunter as a high draft pick who could underachieve because trying to play both cornerback and receiver full-time will hurt him.AJ Hawk · Game Outcome Picks · San Francisco 49ers · Hit 100
Hawk said the Chiefs would beat the Jets, the Seahawks would beat the Cardinals, and the 49ers would beat the Raiders, even while taking the points with the underdogs in each case.Connor Rogers · Game Outcome Picks · San Francisco 49ers · Hit 100
Rogers picked straight-up winners in every Week 9 game, agreeing with Simms on all of them, and gave a 24-20 Bills score over the Vikings on Monday night.
More availability calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Tyler DeSena · Availability Calls · Aaron Brewer · Waiting
Previewing Miami's Week 10 trip to Indianapolis, DeSena expects center Aaron Brewer to be unavailable for the game while in concussion protocol, and frames the rest of the piece around Jonathan Taylor and Grover Stewart having big days, pressure dominating both passing attacks, and Ollie Gordon setting a career high in carries.John Breech · Availability Calls · Micah Parsons · Waiting
Breech offered five bold second-half predictions, chief among them that the Packers win the NFC North despite being the division's longest shot, and that the Broncos overtake the Bills for the AFC's No. 1 seed for a second straight year. Breech also expected Micah Parsons back on the field in Week 12.Jack Markowski · Availability Calls · Michael Pittman · Waiting
Markowski writes that with no practice window opened, Pittman Jr. is unlikely to play against Cincinnati, while Ben Skowronek appears ready to return for that same game.Bill Huber · Availability Calls · Zaire Franklin · Waiting
Huber projects the Packers' offensive line and expects Zaire Franklin to miss another game. They also forecast John Williams starting at center in Sean Rhyan's place, with Morgan and Belton at the tackle spots and Tomlinson/Zeitler possibly at guard.