Tag: Cooper Kupp

Cooper Kupp jokes about ‘being bullied’ over arm sleeve at practice

Cooper Kupp was wearing a new arm sleeve at practice, as were many of his fellow pass catchers, which Kupp joked he’s being bullied for

Cooper Kupp keeps it pretty simple with his gear on game days. He’ll rock a helmet visor in practice every now and then, but he doesn’t typically wear arm sleeves or anything beyond one arm band on his left arm.

In practice this week, however, he sported a new look: a left arm sleeve. Kupp was asked if everything was OK with his arm after practice Thursday and he had to explain why he was wearing a sleeve.

He’s apparently not injured, but his teammates were having fun with it. Kupp joked that he got bullied by his teammates, many of whom were also wearing left arm sleeves.

”A copious amount,” as Kupp put it.

“Yeah, I’ll be alright,” he said. “I don’t know if you saw, we had a copious amount of left arm sleeves out there at practice today. Just putting it out there, I’m being bullied by the team so that’s what’s going on.”

The Rams shared a photo from practice showing Demarcus Robinson, Tyler Higbee, Tutu Atwell, Austin Trammell, Kupp and Ben Skowronek all rocking arm sleeves, with Kupp looking less than enthused about the group shot.

It seems Kupp tried out the new arm sleeve and his teammates trolled him by copying his look. This is probably the last time Kupp attempts to wear anything different than his typical gear.

Giants vs. Rams: 6 keys to victory in Week 17

The New York Giants host the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday afternoon in Week 17, and here are six keys to victory.

This Sunday, the New York Giants return to East Rutherford to host the Los Angeles Rams at MetLife Stadium.

The Tommy DeVito trial is over and Tyrod Taylor has returned as starting quarterback with Daniel Jones’ season ended several weeks ago. After winning three in a row, the Giants dropped their last two and ended any thought of a postseason run.

Still, the season isn’t over and the Giants don’t want to end on a sour note. The Rams present a challenge the Giants haven’t seen yet this season with a veteran quarterback, a breakout rookie wide receiver, and a sophomore running back who is second in the league in rushing.

That said, there are six keys to the Giants earning a win at home in Week 17.

Giants vs. Rams: 3 best player prop bets for Week 17

The New York Giants and Los Angeles Rams square off on Sunday afternoon in Week 17 and here are the three best prop bets to consider.

The New York Giants (5-10) host the Los Angeles Rams (8-7) at MetLife Stadium on the afternoon of New Year’s Eve in a game that has postseason implications (for the Rams, that is).

Los Angeles is favored by 4.5 points, down from 6.5 earlier in the week. The over/under is 44.5 total points, BetMGM.

There’s some key to be made in this game for bettors somewhere other than the spread and the over/under, however.

Here are three prop bets to consider in Week 17.

Fantasy Football: Potential bargains, must-plays from Giants-Rams game

Here’s a look at some potential bargains for daily fantasy from the New York Giants-Los Angeles Rams Week 17 game on Sunday afternoon.

The red-hot Los Angeles Rams (8-7) travel east to the New Jersey Meadowlands on New Year’s Eve afternoon to face the New York Giants (5-10).

Both teams have picked up the effort in the second half of the season, and this game could be filled with fireworks.

That’s good news for fantasy owners and DFS speculators looking for a late-season payday.

Here are three options to consider.

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Saints vs. Rams: 6 defining matchups to watch in Week 16

Saints vs. Rams: 6 defining matchups to watch in Week 16

The New Orleans Saints will look to follow up their big win against the New York Giants in a big Thursday night matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.

The Saints are on a two-game win streak, and though they scored less points last week than in the game against the Carolina Panthers, the offense looked as good as it has all season against the Giants. As they try to follow that performance up, they will also get Chris Olave back from injuries.

The defense has also been on an upwards trajectory, allowing just six points in each of its last two games. They will find themselves in a tough matchup against Kyren Williams and the Rams offensive line.

Here are all of the matchups you need to watch as the Saints look to stay in playoff contention:

Cooper Kupp not excited to play on turf twice in 5 days: ‘I hate it’

Cooper Kupp hates playing on turf in general, but playing two games on turf in a short week makes it even tougher

SoFi Stadium is one of the best new venues in the NFL, and it should be after coming with a price tag of $5.5 billion. There’s one aspect of the Rams’ home stadium that Cooper Kupp hates, though: the turf.

It’s not just SoFi Stadium’s surface that Kupp loathes. It’s artificial turf in general.

He’s made this opinion known several times in the past, and he was asked about it again this week with the Rams playing back-to-back games on turf in a span of five days.

“As you know, I hate it. I’m not a fan of turf in general and it’s obviously tough going back-to-back on a short week,” Kupp said. “But it is what it is. I know people are certainly aware of it. If there’s going to be change that’s going to come, it’s not because people don’t know, you know? So it is what it’s. Like I said, it’s the same thing about playing Thursday night. Everyone’s got to do it. Everyone’s got to get it done on turf and just part of this game and you got to deal with it.”

Kupp isn’t the only player in the NFL who much prefers to play on natural grass instead of artificial turf, citing the greater toll turf takes on players’ bodies compared to grass. And the numbers are there to back it up, with turf causing more foot and ankle injuries than natural grass.

The Saints are dealing with the same thing this week, having just played on their own turf in the last three games. In fact, they haven’t played on natural grass since Week 5, so they’re used to playing on turf.

The Commanders can’t defend pre-snap motion, and the Rams killed them with it

The Washington Commanders can’t defend pre-snap motion for anything, and the Los Angeles Rams knew exactly how to exploit that.

Every defense, no matter how great, has its liabilities. Of course, when your defense can’t stop anyone for anything, your liabilities are that much more severe. In the case of the Washington Commanders, who came into Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams ranked Dead Freaking Last in Defensive DVOA, there’s a lot going on. Head coach Ron Rivera probably hoped that firing defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio on November 24 and taking over the defense himself would help, but that hasn’t been the case.

The Commanders have been busting coverages all season long, no matter the scheme, and that’s been particularly true whenever opposing offenses throw any kind of pre-snap motion against them. Through Week 14, per Sports Ifo Solutions, Washington had allowed a completion rate of 65.0%, 16 touchdowns to just two interceptions, an opponent passer rating of 109.6, and an EPA of 37.26 against passes with pre-snap motion.

With 14:07 left in the third quarter against the Rams, the Commanders gave receiver Cooper Kupp the widest possible berth on this 62-yard touchdown pass, and you would expect five-man football teams in the most desolate environs of Alaska to defend motion better than this.

What’s worse is that the Commanders got a full slab of that kind of run-up jet motion off the edge against Tyreek Hill and the Miami Dolphins in Week 13 on this 60-yard touchdown pass.

And then, the Commanders had a full extra bye week for prepare for something similar from the Rams, who have one of the NFL’s best and most diverse motion offenses.

The Commanders are just playing out the season, and Rivera is unlikely to return, but you’d like to see a bit more cognitive learning than what’s going on here.

Watch: Matthew Stafford hits wide-open Cooper Kupp deep for 62-yard TD

The Commanders left Cooper Kupp wide open down the sideline for an easy 62-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford

Cooper Kupp is one of the best receivers in the league but the Washington Commanders apparently didn’t feel the need to cover him on the Rams’ first drive of the second half. On just the second play of the drive, Matthew Stafford chucked it deep for Kupp, who was wide open and didn’t have a defender within 15 yards of him.

Kupp hauled it in and strolled into the end zone for a 62-yard touchdown, giving the Rams a 20-0 lead over the Commanders.

It was a complete coverage bust by Washington, failing to recognize Kupp running down the right sideline as multiple defenders jumped the underneath route to cover Demarcus Robinson.

Might want to cover that guy wearing No. 10.

Kupp had 17 yards of separation when the ball got to him, which, according to Next Gen Stats is the most of any completion on a pass 20-plus yards down the field in the last two years.

https://twitter.com/NextGenStats/status/1736519839899083219

4 reasons the Commanders should be concerned about the Rams

The four biggest causes for concern for the Commanders against the Rams.

Matthew Stafford is playing well

Veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford is healthy and playing well. In his first 10 games, Stafford had thrown only 9 touchdown passes. However, in his last three games, Stafford has been lighting up opposing defenses, throwing four touchdowns against the Cardinals, three against the Browns and again, three against the Ravens last week. Sean McVay is most likely excited to have Stafford throwing against the Commanders defense this week.

Rams Running Back Duo

The Rams are ranked 10th in the NFL in offense for good reason. One is the running back duo of Kyren Williams and Royce Freeman. Williams has gained 801 yards and is averaging an impressive 5.0 yards per rushing attempt. Freeman has gained 301 yards and is averaging 4.5 yards per rushing attempt. Their effectiveness in running the ball makes Matthew Stafford’s play-action game even more effective.

Rams Receivers Group

The Rams receivers get open, and Stafford finds them. Puka Nacua is having a very impressive first NFL season. The rookie was drafted in the fifth round (177), and he continues to impress, recording 82 receptions and is fifth in the NFL in receiving yards with 1,113. Then there is Cooper Kupp (41 receptions, 13.3 YPR), and Tutu Atwell (37 receptions, 12.9 YPR).

Aaron Donald is still dominant

Donald might not get all the press that edge rushers do, but those watching the NFL game films realize Donald is still perhaps the best defensive tackle in the game. This season, Donald leads the Rams with 131 tackles for a loss, quarterback sacks (6.0), and quarterback hits (21).

Watch: Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford answer fan questions about pet peeves and famous contacts

What does Kupp do that bothers Stafford the most? And who is the most famous person in Kupp’s phone?

Rams fans know Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford as the stars of their favorite team, but there’s more to each of them than what we see on Sundays. For instance, do you know what Kupp does that bothers Stafford most? Or who Kupp’s most famous phone contact is?

The two leaders of the Rams answered those questions and others on the latest episode of “Nine and Dime” this week.

Kupp and Stafford have a great relationship so it’s always fun to see them in a more casual situation like the ones they’re in each week on “Nine and Dime”, often poking fun at each other. Kupp called out Stafford for heating up salmon in the office microwave, while Stafford gets annoyed with how much time Kupp spends breaking down his own run-blocking assignment during their film sessions.

It’s also funny to hear Stafford rag on Kupp for dressing like a teenager, which Cooper proudly admits.

Check out the full video below as they answer questions from fans.