One of the best ways to diagnose a defense before the snap is by sending a receiver in motion. It helps the quarterback determine whether it’s man or zone coverage based on whether the defender follows the receiver.
Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford are obviously well aware of the benefits of pre-snap motion and they used Cooper Kupp constantly to determine what coverage the Detroit Lions were running on Sunday night.
In addition to the 110 yards receiving Kupp had, he also ran an insane number of yards just on pre-snap motion. According to Next Gen Stats, Kupp traveled 436 yards in pre-snap motion, the second-most of any player in a game since 2018. The only player with more in that span was, well, Kupp. He had 446 pre-snap motion yards in Week 14 of last season.
His stamina was certainly tested when you consider he played every offensive snap, ran 436 pre-snap yards and caught 14 passes, yet he didn’t show any signs of fatigue.
As Next Gen Stats notes below, he was in motion on 30 of the Rams’ 74 offensive plays, which is six more than any other player in the NFL in the last seven seasons.
Cooper Kupp traveled a total of 436 yards in pre-snap motion, the 2nd-most in a game by any player since 2018.
Kupp himself is the only other player to travel more distance in pre-snap motion (446 yards), which he did in Week 14, 2023.#LAvsDET | @RamsNFL
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 9, 2024