The Los Angeles Rams pulled away late from a mostly Drew Brees-less New Orleans Saints team on Sunday, with one of the pivotal moments coming on a fourth-quarter 66-yard catch-and-run by Cooper Kupp off a pass from Jared Goff.
Kupp evaded several Saints defenders before finally getting tackled near the goal line. The play was initially ruled a touchdown before replay review determined that Kupp was down on the 1-yard line. Goff scored on a quarterback sneak on the very next play.
It capped off a stunning comeback performance for one of the league’s best slot receivers. Kupp had not played in the Coliseum since he tore his ACL there in November 2018 against the Seattle Seahawks.
Given that the injury happened almost exactly 10 months ago, one would expect Kupp to need a little time to recover his speed and athleticism that turned him into such a feared weapon in head coach Sean McVay’s offense. His ability to make a play like he did on Sunday came to the shock of many, including his quarterback, per Stu Jackson of TheRams.com:
Goff added: "I’m bummed he didn’t get the touchdown and I had to steal it from him, but it was a good play, really good play.”
— Stu Jackson (@StuJRams) September 16, 2019
While Goff may have been surprised to see what Kupp was able to do on a relatively simple deep slant route, he already seems very confident in throwing the ball to one of his favorite receivers.
Goff targeted Kupp nine times in Sunday’s game. That is as many targets as fellow wideouts Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods and tight end Tyler Higbee received in total.
Kupp ultimately finished with a game-high 120 yards on five receptions, his first 100-yard performance since Week 4 of 2018.
It was an inconsistent day from Goff, but his better throws made up for his mistakes. Along with Kupp’s Marshawn Lynch-esque catch and run, Goff hit Cooks on a perfectly placed 57-yard throw during the Rams’ first drive, then found Cooks again on an endzone slant route for the Rams’ second touchdown of the game.
The Rams also caught another lucky break when Goff fumbled in the red zone on his second possession the fumble was originally returned for a touchdown by Saints lineman Cam Jordan as the play was blown dead and Goff’s error was initially ruled incomplete.
Referees changed the call to a fumble after a replay challenge, but the Saints were forced to start deep in Rams territory instead of getting a defensive touchdown. Goff admitted after the game that his team caught a break on that play, but with Los Angeles winning by 18 points, it is hard to say it affected the outcome.
