What Cooper Kupp Needs to Achieve on Sunday to Break Calvin Johnson's Single-Season Receiving Record

How close is Cooper Kupp to breaking Calvin Johnson's single-season receiving record?

Cooper Kupp's 2021 campaign has been one of the best single-seasons by a wide receiver in NFL history.

With 16 games in the books, Kupp is on track to secure the receiving triple crown, leading the NFL in catches (138), receptions (1,828) and touchdowns (15).

With the regular-season finale on the horizon this Sunday, Kupp has the chance to break Calvin Johnson's single-season receiving record set in 2012. Johnson, catching passes from Matthew Stafford during their time together in Detroit, totaled 1,964 yards in his record-setting year.

Kupp trails by 136 yards to become the record holder, though he told reporters via Zoom earlier this week that "it wouldn’t hold the same weight" to break Johnson's historical year in a 17-game season. 

With the NFL adding an extra game this year and presumably in all seasons moving forward, each single-season record that is newly set comes on the heels of doing so with an extra game played.

Kupp has registered 136 yards in three games this season – the amount he needs on Sunday to surpass the record. Facing the 49ers in the regular-season finale, Kupp will look to stack another notable performance against San Francisco. When Kupp and the Rams faced the 49ers earlier this season in Week 10, he tallied 11 catches for 122 yards.

Rams coach Sean McVay said Monday that while he won't force-feed Kupp the ball for record purposes, he is the focal part of the offense and he may have the opportunity to pass Johnson in the record books. Though, McVay added that his play-calling will not change for an attempt at a record.

“Am I aware of where he’s at numbers-wise? Yes, I am. Will that affect the way we game-plan and try to ultimately beat a really difficult divisional opponent? It won’t,” McVay said.

The Rams have bigger things at hand when the 49ers come to SoFi Stadium. If the Rams win, they clinch the NFC West and maintain the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoff picture.

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• Cooper Kupp Says "It Wouldn’t Hold the Same Weight' to Break Receiving Records in 17-Game Season
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Nick Cothrel is the publisher of Ram Digest. Follow Nick and Ram Digest on Twitter @NickCothrel & @RamDigestSI for more Rams coverage.