'Cooper Kupp of RBs': Rams Coach Has Unique Praise for Panthers' Christian McCaffrey

Los Angeles Rams coordinator Raheem Morris looked toward his own team to draw comparisons for Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey.

The Los Angeles Rams boast receiver Cooper Kupp, arguably one of the league's most unique players, headed into Sunday's matchup with the Carolina Panthers at SoFi Stadium. The dominance of Kupp has become expected at this point in his six-year career despite the fact he looks like he could be a fan cheering from the stands. 

But Kupp - a defending Super Bowl MVP and Offensive Player of the Year who is currently first in the league in catches (49) and second in receiving yards (527) - has become such a consistently elite and versatile receiver that it has become difficult to come up with new ways to 

Luckily, Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris dug deep into his bag of creativity on Thursday when talking about his team's preparation for the Panthers. His mention of Kupp was a bit unexpected, as it came while he raining praises on Carolina's all-world running back Christian McCaffrey. 

"He's a dynamic football player," Morris said of McCaffrey. "He's one of the best in this game. I remember I was in Atlanta when he was a possible MVP, and I haven't seen much change then when you watch him play right now, to be honest. He's the Cooper Kupp of running backs.”

Call it bias if you like, but Morris makes a fair point. Like Kupp, one could argue that the strength of McCaffrey's game is his ability to have no weaknesses. Even at 5-11, 205, he can power his way through the middle of the line and meet linebackers head-to-head. 

Use him on the goal line and he's powerful enough to score. Or line him as a receiver up in the slot, on the numbers, or wherever, and he'll prove why he has almost as many career receiving yards (3,203) as he does rushing yards (3,911).

Morris has seen McCaffrey time and again during his days as an assistant in the NFC South with the Atlanta Falcons. He admitted that the always-dynamic McCaffrey doesn't seem to have lost a step as he prepares his defense for Sunday's game. 

“I've seen way too much of Christian McCaffrey in the past," Morris said. "A lot of it I like to not remember ... You're talking about a one-cut runner that gets downhill, doesn't waste time, has no wasted movement, just chews up yardage. And then he leads the team in receiving, he catches the ball out (of) the backfield, he's able to split out, run routes."

Even against a tough San Francisco 49ers defense in Week 5, McCaffrey still managed 104 yards of total offense and a touchdown. The Rams will be favored at home against a reeling Panthers team, but with McCaffrey to deal with, LA will need to be wary in order to avoid a three-game losing streak. 

Sunday's game kicks off at 1:05 p.m. CT. 

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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