Can LA Rams WR Cooper Kupp’s 2022 season outdo 2021?

The more things change

Okay, so here we are, attempting to go from a known 2021 NFL season into an unknown 2022 NFL season. So how can we possibly attempt to make that leap of faith? Well, for starters, we can evaluate the contributing factors for the spike in Kupp’s 2022 production and determine if any of those root causes are still in play for 2022.

Ready?

Rams quarterback is Matthew Stafford

From the moment that the LA Rams acquired veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford, the offense took on an entirely new dimension. The offense was always schemed to win, a character trait of LA Rams head coach Sean McVay, who never left anything to chance. But even the best plans can fail under certain circumstances. NFL defenses exploited the Rams offense’s inability to adjust to disguised coverages.

With Stafford under center, his ability to read his progressions and improvise was a new dimension for the Rams. It was that ability to shoot from the hip on game day that led to some dramatic come-from-behind victories for the team.  Stafford is not only back, but he starts the season with a complete command of the team’s offensive playbook and an understanding of his options on every play.

Stafford and Kupp still enjoy incredible chemistry

The chemistry between Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp was quite apparent, from the team’s first game against the Chicago Bears to the team’s 21st game against the Cincinnati Bengals. It was that ability to know what the other would do that allowed Kupp to catch seven of ten passes for 108 yards and a touchdown in the season opener, as well as put up eight of ten catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns in Super Bowl LVI.

That consistency is what the duo plan to enjoy throughout the entire 2022 NFL season. In fact, if you break down Kupp’s average throughout the 2021 NFL season, he put up 114.5 yards per game and just shy of one touchdown per game. While that may sound like a performance that is unrepeatable, it was such a consistent performance throughout the season that the evidence suggests that it is completely repeatable.