LA Rams WR Cooper Kupp within reach of rare NFL WR Triple Crown

If the LA Rams sat WR Cooper Kupp in Week 18, and the rest of the NFL played as normal, how well would other receivers in the league need to play in order to catch up to the record-setting season of Kupp? Let’s play that mental exercise because I believe that far too many have ignored the incredible pace that Kupp is setting this year.

The truth is that Cooper Kupp has been putting up such incredible numbers all season that it has become commonplace. But ladies and gentlemen, it’s not commonplace. In the past 31 NFL seasons, it’s happened three times. In the past 28 years, it has happened just once. And it hasn’t happened at all in the past 15 years.

Kupp, not Rodgers, is the MVP this year

Sure, we can talk about how well Aaron Rodgers throws the football. He is ninth in the league in passing yards. He is third in the NFL in passing touchdowns. He’s fourth in the NFL in passing accuracy. But he does have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, and he throws to a rather noteworthy group of receivers. And of course, having both A.J. Dillon and Aaron Jones running the football helps quite a bit, doesn’t it?

So his throws are not made under duress. And when it comes to throwing the football, he throws on his terms, not because he needs to throw. He’s very good. But then again, he has an ideal offense that suits his style, and he can always hand the ball off.  He is, after all, 13th in passing attempts. So the Green Bay Packers quarterback does not throw as much as you might think.

In the context of player comparisons, Rodgers does not lead in any offensive category. He simply has an offense that allows him to pick his spots and be very efficient. The LA Rams do not have that luxury. Quite often, the team is not getting much from the running game. The offense is stalling when passes are thrown elsewhere. It’s only when Cooper Kupp is targeted that the team truly feels like a playoff-bound team.  Let’s discuss that a bit further.