The big question after Week 1 was who would replace Puka Nacua after the star receiver suffered a knee injury and landed on injured reserve. Tyler Johnson stepped up and was a starter alongside Cooper Kupp and Demarcus Robinson on Sunday afternoon, but now the Rams have another problem: Kupp is hurt.
While we await word on the severity of Kupp’s ankle injury, the immediate outlook isn’t great. He was unable to return in the second half and was spotted in a walking boot after the 41-10 loss.
So who steps up for the Rams if Kupp is forced to miss some time? It could be rookie Jordan Whittington. Though he and Tutu Atwell both got opportunities after Kupp went down, it was Whittington who played more.
According to Pro Football Focus, Whittington played every snap in the second half, giving him 26 total snaps in the game. Atwell, meanwhile, played just 10 snaps, running three fewer routes (10) than Whittington (13).
Kupp didn’t play in the second half. Jordan Whittington took his place. Whittington played every snap in the second half. Tutu Atwell also played some snaps, cutting into Johnson’s snaps.
If Kupp misses time as well, we can expect Demarcus Robinson to be the lead target in the Rams offense. Both Johnson and Whittington are worth considering, depending on the size of your league.
The big difference between Whittington and Atwell is their ability to impact the game as blockers. Whittington is much better suited to block when the Rams run it, similar to Kupp and Nacua. Atwell didn’t play a single snap as a blocker on Sunday and is reserved for mostly passing plays because of his smaller frame.
We should see both Whittington and Atwell contribute if Kupp misses any amount of time, but given their skill sets, Whittington is much more likely to stay on the field throughout the game.