Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay and wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10). Photo Credit: Jeffrey Becker/Imagn Images
For the first time since Week 1, the Los Angeles Rams had both Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua on the field together, contributing to the team’s 30-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday night. Head coach Sean McVay is eager to keep it that way, especially with rumors swirling about a possible trade involving Kupp before the Nov. 5 deadline. McVay said he was “really glad” to have him back on the field.
“And that’s what I expect to stay that way,” McVay said.
Kupp, playing for the first time since a left ankle sprain in Week 2, made an immediate impact with five catches for 51 yards and a touchdown. Nacua led the team with seven catches for 106 yards on nine targets.
“Teams reached out,” McVay said when asked about the trade speculation. “Some of the things that I’ve seen out there, they’re just not true.”
Kupp said he’s “not thinking about that stuff,” but said he thought there was something “kind of cool about all that stuff going on outside of the facility, but on a short week, every minute spent preparing, trying to get ready to come out here and play.
“And so it gave me the opportunity to focus in on just being where my feet are, being able to prepare as best I can and come out here and let it rip,” Kupp said. “And all that stuff is what it is.”
Nacua’s Strong Return Fuels Offense
While Kupp’s return was anticipated, the Rams kept Nacua’s status a bit quieter. Nacua, who sprained his PCL in Week 1, had just been activated from injured reserve after beginning his 21-day practice window on Tuesday. According to McVay, Nacua felt ready earlier than expected, telling McVay he was “feeling pretty good” after a workout where he impressed the coaching staff with his movement.
“[Nacua] said, ‘I don’t know, I’m feeling pretty good,'” McVay said. “He went and had a workout session where he ran routes and did a great job. His movement looked good. I talked to him, and I said, ‘Do you want to try to give this thing a shot?’ And he said yes.”
McVay, who has preached the importance of “return to performance” vs. “return to play” when discussing players returning from injury, said Nacua “had shown that he was ready for that performance.”
“And this guy’s mindset, his mentality … he’s a war daddy, he’s a stud,” McVay said. “I love his play energy and what he brings. He was ready to go tonight, and he made a big impact on the game.”
Nacua’s Record-Tying Performance
Due to the short week, Nacua didn’t participate in any padded practices. Quarterback Matthew Stafford mentioned that he’d only thrown one or two practice passes to Nacua since Week 1. Yet, Nacua delivered with his eighth career 100-yard receiving game, tying him with Justin Jefferson for the second most 100-yard games within the first 20 games of a career in the Super Bowl era.
The Rams’ offense reached a season-high 30 points in Thursday’s win, ending a 10-game streak of scoring under 30 points.
McVay credited everyone’s effort for the victory but acknowledged the “spark” that Kupp and Nacua brought back to the offense.
“There’s a confidence, there’s a comfort, there’s a rapport that’s been established with Matthew and Cooper over the years and then Puka and Matthew last year and then leading into this season,” McVay said.
“And so, these guys are ballers. “And Matthew brought out the best in everybody. But I thought Puka and Cooper were ready to go. They made an impact.”
This report used information from ESPN.
