Rams News: Matthew Stafford Knew Cooper Kupp Breakout Game Was Coming

Ricardo Klein | Sep 9, 2024

Aug 1, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) talks with wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) and wide receiver Puka Nacua (17) during training camp at Loyola Marymount University. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Rams lost a thriller in overtime to the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football, 26-20. The Rams, who were down by two scores in the third quarter, scratched and clawed their way back into the game and even had an opportunity to win it in regulation. 

Unfortunately, the game went into overtime; the Lions had the ball first, and they didn't look back. The Lions dropped the ball down the throat of the Rams' defense, and that was all she wrote. 

While the loss is not ideal, the play of star wide receiver Cooper Kupp certainly was. Kupp looked like the Kupp of old, the one that we had all become accustomed to. The 31-year-old wide receiver played his best game since going on an injury spree in the 2022 season. 

Kupp was spectacular, and while he shocked many people with his performance, he didn't surprise his star quarterback, Matthew Stafford. 

Stafford spoke to the media after the fame and said he knew Kupp was due for a big game. 

"That's what I've been seeing in practice," Stafford said of Kupp. "That's who I know he is... I'd love to see what his yardage was running today... We're asking him to move all over the place and handle a whole lot of things, both in the pass game and the run game, and he leads that room really well."

Kupp was everything the Rams needed him to be and more. In the loss, Kupp recorded 14 receptions on 21 targets for 110 yards and one touchdown. The former All-Pro wide receiver was remarkable for his team, and his quarterback knew how to feed him the ball. 

It's been a whirlwind for Kupp since reaching the mountain top in 2021. Since then, Kupp has been struggling with injury after injury. Even last season, when he returned from the injured reserve in Week 5, Kupp wasn't moving like he was. Kupp has been through it all in the past year and a half, whether it was an ankle sprain, hamstring injury, or another ankle injury. 

It seems like it is all in the past, and Kupp is ready to show the football world that he is as dominant as we remember him. Stafford and Kupp have a chemistry like no other, and we should see more performances like Sunday throughout the rest of the season. 

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