Cooper Kupp is in the midst of one of the best seasons ever by a wide receiver. Through 13 games, he’s already caught 113 passes for 1,489 yards and 12 touchdowns, leading the league in all three categories.
He’s not the most physically gifted or fastest receiver in football, but he finds ways to get open and make defenders miss after he hauls in the pass. He also has a brilliant understanding of what defenses are doing to try to stop him, from their coverages to their press technique at the line, all the way down to which way he should go out of his break on an option route.
Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay have raved about his football IQ all season long, and Les Snead has joined the party, too. The Rams GM compared Kupp’s mind to Peyton Manning’s during an appearance on the “Coach McVay Show” this week, which is quite the compliment.
“Could spend all day talking about Cooper Kupp,” Snead said. “What a year. What a year he’s had. It’s remarkable what he’s done and it’s really, really fun to watch. I’ve said this many times, he’s got a Peyton Manning-ish-type of football mind, he just happens to be playing wide receiver. And now you’re kind of seeing that all come to fruition.”
Kupp and Stafford have been on the same page from Day 1, building strong chemistry through their work in the offseason and into the regular season. Kupp’s awareness and football knowledge make that connection easier to build, and his breakdown of his touchdown against the Jags two weeks ago was evidence of that.
Cooper Kupp giving the most technical answer I’ve ever heard from a wide receiver pic.twitter.com/E8sbU800z1
— 𝕋𝕠𝕞 – 𝕃𝔸 ℝ𝕒𝕞𝕤 (@TL_LARams) December 6, 2021
Kupp has always been a smart and talented receiver, but he’s taken his game to another level this season.
