Column: It’ll take more than just Cooper Kupp. Rams need consistency and cohesion to win
For a few moments against the Eagles on Sunday, for a few precious plays, Cooper Kupp was his old self again, and it was a sight to see.
Free of the ankle injury that had knocked him out last season in Week 10 and no longer bothered by the training-camp hamstring injury that delayed his debut this season, Kupp was once again the dynamic receiver who was voted the most valuable player in the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI comeback win, the elusive and smart route runner.
He was “Coop,” as fans at SoFi Stadium happily serenaded him while he piled up 56 receiving yards on the Rams’ first possession against the defending NFC champions and matched them score for score.
The Philadelphia Eagles are nearly unstoppable in short-yardage situations because of the “Brotherly Shove,” but the play’s days could be numbered.
Kupp acknowledged he felt some rust, but he relished every sensation and thought.
“There’s some stuff, just processing, seeing the field. Seeing what defenses are doing and then being able to react to it,” he said of his reactions. “Just things that I’m sure I’ll look at [Monday] and just feel like this can happen a little bit faster.
“It did feel good to be out there playing football again.”
Not only was Kupp in vintage form at the start, coach Sean McVay was finding ways to use him and rookie Puka Nacua, who had become a sensation over the Rams’ first four games. Kupp got his chances. So did Nacua. Instead of igniting a potentially divisive competition, they worked well together, giving quarterback Matthew Stafford lots of options.
“That was really easy,” Nacua said of teaming with Kupp for the first time. “Just flows kind of naturally.”
But Kupp, Nacua and the Rams couldn’t sustain their good start. Some of that was the Rams’ fault for not capitalizing on their rare chances, and some of it was because the Eagles adjusted in the second half and proved their ability to finish in a 23-14 win. The Eagles are 5-0. The Rams are 2-3, competitive and fun to watch, especially with Kupp back, but they’re not good enough to seize and run off with opportunities against upper-echelon teams.
Kupp was targeted eight times in the first half and made six catches for 95 yards. He finished with eight catches on 12 targets and 118 yards, the 29th time in his career he finished a game with 100 or more receiving yards. Nacua, who caught a 22-yard touchdown pass from Stafford that put the Rams ahead 14-10 with 32 seconds left in the first half, became the first Rams rookie to catch touchdown passes in back-to-back games since Torry Holt in 1999. He had seven receptions for 71 yards.
But the Rams let this one get away when quarterback Jalen Hurts engineered a touchdown drive to vault the Eagles back into the lead as time expired in the second quarter. The Rams couldn’t respond in the second half even after cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon intercepted a Hurts pass intended for wide receiver A.J. Brown in the end zone with 7:36 left in the third quarter.
“It’s still a one-possession game. We’ve got to figure out how to turn that into points,” McVay said of the timing of Witherspoon’s pick. “And there’s opportunities where I know we’re capable of making and we’ve got to be able to string it together.
After scoring a pair of touchdowns in the first half, the Rams are shut out by the Philadelphia Eagles defense in the second half of 23-14 a loss.
“It’s one thing to say we’ve got to be able to do it, but I believe this team is capable of making those plays. I know they’re capable of making those plays. I’m excited about going back to work with these guys and figuring out how we can continue to demonstrate the resilience, the response, that’s in alignment with what we want.”
McVay said he didn’t want to use his players’ youth and inexperience as an excuse, but it is a factor. “We expect to accelerate our progression and I believe in this group,” he said. “Disappointed in the inability to play off one another, but we’re going to come back, we’re going to look at this film and figure out where we can be better and we’re going to respond. I promise you that.”
Stafford acknowledged he and Kupp weren’t completely in sync, which is understandable. “Had some decent success early on. Couple plays here and there we’d want back as the game went on, but I loved having him back on the field and I think everybody did.” Stafford said.
“I think some of those plays, I’m cutting the ball loose at a certain time and thinking he’s doing one thing. Nobody’s right or wrong. It’s just not on the same page. That’s football. It’s not going to be perfect all the time.”
McVay also mused about the impossibility of perfection. He’s seeking cohesion and consistency, which aren’t too much to ask. “I think we’re capable of that,” he said. “We’re five weeks into this season and there’s a lot of football left. And I’m excited about attacking this with this team.”
It will be a stronger team if they can achieve a good balance among the receivers. “I think it will be a good opportunity for us to be able to continuously figure out how do we utilize the whole personnel,” McVay said. “Not exclusive to Cooper, but also you see Puka, you see Tutu [Atwell], Tyler Higbee, our backs, things like that. So those will be things we’ll look at.
“There were a few opportunities and some ones I know we can make, and I know we will moving forward. But that margin for error against a great team like [Philadelphia] is too small to overcome, and we weren’t able to do that today.”
A good beginning didn’t lead to a good ending for the Rams on Sunday. And there will be more games like that this season, until consistency and cohesion become reality and not just catchwords.
Go beyond the scoreboard
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