No shortcuts for LA Rams Cooper Kupp NFC Offensive Player of the Month

Oh yeah? Prove it.

There is always the need for proof nowadays. Faith is simply not enough. Skepticism is everywhere, fueled by hasty decisions on partial information, media that is more about telling a compelling story than telling a factual truth, and a heartbreaking realization that humans make mistakes.  Over the course of covering the LA Rams, that tone has laid upon the enthusiasm for the LA Rams wide receivers like a wet blanket.

The LA Rams wide receivers are very good. They have been very good. They will be very good. The problem surfaced when the skeptics proclaimed “Prove it.” which has left me at a loss.  Of course, we can point to Kupp’s statistics, his NextGen statistics, but it falls upon deaf ears.  In 2017, he was the 24th ranked NFL receiver. In 2018, he was injured after just eight games. In 2019, he was the 12th ranked NFL receiver. In 2020, he fell to the 22nd ranked NFL receiver.

The reason? The LA Rams offense has been about balance. Until this point in time, if tight end Tyler Higbee had a good game, you could bet that former tight end Gerald Everett would follow suit with a good game of his own. Their combined total was impressive. But for the individual player? Many other players outperformed them.

If WR Cooper Kupp had a good game, Robert Woods would have a good game. Unlike most teams where one receiver would stand out, the Rams offense balances their production. In 2019, Kupp finished with 1,161 yards while Woods finished with 1,134 yards. In 2020, Kupp finished with 974 yards while Woods finished with 936 yards.