Cooper Kupp's Record-Breaking Performance Leads Rams To Victory Over Seahawks
Cooper Kupp recorded his ninth 100-yard plus game of the season Tuesday night, leading the Rams (10-4) to a 20-10 victory over the Seahawks (5-9).
On paper, this was a mismatch. The league's No. 6 ranked offense at home against the league's No. 32 ranked defense. Yet, the two teams went into half knotted up at three. The Rams, coming off a 30-23 road win over the Cardinals, didn't look anything like the juggernaut of most of the season.
Then came the second half.
Matthew Stafford found his groove. As did Kupp, the league's leading receiver. After Seattle came out of the half with an 11-play, 75-yard scoring drive, it was Kupp who gave the Rams their first touchdown of the game. Fittingly enough, it was Kupp who hauled in a 32-yard reception to put the Rams near Seattle territory. Three plays later, he finished it off with a six-yard score.
The touchdown grab tied the game at 10 with 6:31 remaining in the third. It was also Kupp's 120th reception of the season, passing Isaac Bruce (1995) for most in a single season in Rams history.
Kupp wasn't done.
Two possessions later, it was once again the Kupp show. On an eight-play, 88-yard scoring drive, Kupp notched his second touchdown of the game, this time on the receiving end of a 29-yard strike from Stafford. A connection so crisp, you wouldn't have known it was the duo's first year together.
Kupp finished with nine receptions on 13 targets for 136 yards and two touchdowns. Stafford went 21-of-29 for 244 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
Even with running back Darrell Henderson back from the reserve/COVID-19 list, it was Sony Michel that led the way for the Rams' backfield. Michel ran tough all night, including a 39-yard run to set up the first Los Angeles score. Michel picked up 29.5 yards after contact on the run, per Next Gen Stats.
Michel ran for 92 yards on 18 carries, his second-highest rushing output of the season.
On the other end of the spectrum was Russell Wilson and the Seattle offense. Tasked with moving the ball at a raucous SoFi Stadium on a fearsome Rams defensive front, there wasn't much open down the field.
Seattle accumulated just 214 total yards of offense. Wilson, on the other hand, was hardly a factor. Neither was his patented rainbow deep ball.
Down 17-10 late in the fourth, it was time for Wilson to make a play. With Tyler Lockett out due to COVID-19, Wilson had his other top receiver sprinting open down the sideline, DK Metcalf. Metcalf burned All-Pro corner Jalen Ramsey off the line, anticipating Wilson to find him.
Wilson's eyes did, but the ball did not. Wilson badly underthrew it and the pass was incomplete. The result was a frustrated Metcalf and a dreaded trip back to the tablet for Wilson.
Wilson completed 17-of-31 passes for 156 yards and an interception. Metcalf had six receptions on 12 targets for 52 yards. The running back tandem of DeeJay Dallas and Rashaad Penny combined for 80 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown.
The Rams now sit tied atop the AFC West with the Cardinals after Arizona's 30-12 loss to the Lions on Sunday.
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