The Los Angeles Rams suffered a tough overtime loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football, falling by a score of 26-20. Despite a Matthew Stafford-led comeback effort from a two-score deficit in the third quarter, the Rams were unable to secure the win.
While the loss was disappointing, Cooper Kupp was a major bright spot. A big question was what would he look like now that he is fully health. Kupp did not disappoint. His performance was exactly what Rams fans wanted to see and was a reminder of his dominant 2021 performance.
Matthew Stafford’s Praise of Cooper Kupp
After the game, Quarterback Matthew Stafford praised Kupp’s performance. He for one was not surprised by the result. When asked about him he highlighted his work ethic and leadership in the receiving corps.
“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’s 14 receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown show his versatility and ability to make plays in a variety of situations. His performance was a crucial factor in the Rams’ effort against the Lions, especially when Puka Nacua left the game due to injury.
In his last fully healthy season, Stafford leaned on Kupp, targeting him on 31 percent of his passing attempts. In this effort, Kupp was targeted on 42.8 percent of his attempts. He was the most targeted receiver in the league, the next highest was nine targets behind Kupp.