Covering Cooper Kupp this season has been an unpleasant adventure for every defense the Los Angeles Rams have faced this season. Kupp, the first NFL player to win the receiving Triple Crown (leading the league in receptions, yards, and touchdowns) since Steve Smith did it for the Panthers in 2005, caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford with 8:46 left in the first quarter of the NFC Championship game between the Rams and the San Francisco 49ers.
.@CooperKupp continues to dominate 🔥 #RamsHouse #NFLPlayoffs
📺: #SFvsLAR on FOX
📱: https://t.co/vywGt5Kgfz pic.twitter.com/EiAgvpbWNL— NFL (@NFL) January 31, 2022
On the replay of the touchdown, you can see cornerback Ambry Thomas (No. 20) watching running back Sony Michel coming out of the backfield on the wheel route. The problem with that strategy is that it left Kupp wide open in the end zone, with safety Jaquiski Tartt desperately hustling over to try and stop the inevitable.
Future Hall of Fame cornerback Richard Sherman, who played for the 49ers from 2018-2020, had some timely advice for Thomas, who has stepped up as a third-round rookie to make some important plays… just not this one.
Youth from Ambry…. You have to always play deep to short in that situation. Give them the flat and come up and tackle! Much easier to go forward than try to recover back. The tempo from the Rams created the extra space needed.
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) January 31, 2022
We’ll see how that plays out if the Rams have a similar offensive play call later in the game.