
As I wrote on my X-Factors post, Rams wide receiver Brandin Cooks could be in line for a big afternoon. Against New Orleans, Cooks had a solid game against a former team, catching seven balls for 107 yards, including a big gainer for 36 yards.
It will be curious to see who the Patriots make their top target in the Super Bowl. Stop Gurley, the Rams have Anderson. Take out Woods and you get Cooks.
A quick refresher, like Cooks against New Orleans, fans now get Cooks versus the Patriots.
Against the Cowboys, Cooks had only four less yards than Woods, 65 yards to 69. In that playoff game, it was the running attack that carried the night and advanced the Rams to a rematch against the Saints. Should the game evolve into a defensive centric Super Bowl, Cooks is a player the Rams could use to grind it out.
As good as Woods has been this season, the injury to Cooper Kupp looks to have been a key factor in the Goff to Cooks connection. He’s a guy who can cut the top off of a Patriots defense as well as work the sidelines. If the Patriots challenge the Rams running game, Cooks could be the player who comes up big to get Los Angeles to the post game stage raising not just a Lombardi Trophy, but be a game MVP.