2 weeks Ago By Dan Treacy
Just one week ago, the Rams were sitting on a 1-4 start and seemed closer to a franchise-changing trade than playoff contention. Plenty can change in a week. Los Angeles' win over the Raiders in Week 7 didn't exactly make Sean McVay's team look like a legitimate NFC West contender, but with Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua back in the fold Thursday night, the Rams looked more like the team that reached the playoffs last season.
The Rams got the best of the Vikings at SoFi Stadium, winning 30-20 to hand Minnesota its second loss in five days. MORE: Explaining controversial non-facemask call on Sam Darnold Kupp had a quiet night for the most part, picking up a majority of his yardage on a big catch on the Rams' final drive, but the game was a glimpse into what L.A.
's offense could look like in with the full group healthy. Not only did Kupp and Nacua return, but the Rams' offensive line also looked as sound as it has all season. Stafford had more time to throw against a powerful pass-rush, and Kyren Williams turned in a solid night with 97 yards on the ground with more attention on the passing game.
A week that began with trade rumors surrounding Kupp is going to end much quieter than it started on that front, even if a deal could still be on the table before the Nov. 5 deadline. The rumors were more than just rumors: the Rams reportedly called teams to explore potential Kupp trades, the clearest signal yet that the former Super Bowl MVP could be reaching the end of the line with the only franchise he's ever known.
Stafford himself became the subject of trade rumors early in the week, though those rumors were much more speculative than Kupp's. It wouldn't make much sense for the Rams to trade Stafford midseason now that they sit just a game out of first place in the NFC West, and the best way to ensure the offense can keep building momentum might be to let Kupp do his thing alongside Nacua. A win over the Seahawks in Week 9, just two days before the deadline, would cement the Rams as legitimate contenders in a division without a dominant team right now, and that might be enough to push the Stafford and Kupp speculation off to the spring.
SN's NFL HQ: Live NFL scores | Updated NFL standings | Full NFL schedule Matthew Stafford stats vs. Vikings Comp.: 25-34 (73.
5%) Pass yards: 279 Pass TD: 4 INT: 1 Sacks: 0 Stafford was sharp in the win over the Vikings. The situation was much better than it's been, as he had both Nacua and Kupp on the field and the protection was much-improved. Stafford wasn't sacked once in the victory, days after he took only one sack against the Raiders.
Before that, he had taken at least three sacks in four consecutive games. Thursday marked Stafford's first four-touchdown game since Week 12 last season and only his second in the past three seasons. In fact, Stafford didn't even have four touchdown passes this season entering Thursday's game, as he was sitting on just three through six games.
Stafford has proven he can still deliver when he has time to work, and it would be hard to blame him for feeling like 2024 is starting to go the way of 2023 with the way the offense is coalescing after some early bumps. MORE: Explaining the connection between Sean McVay, Kevin O'Connell Cooper Kupp trade rumors ESPN's Dianna Russini reported Tuesday that the Rams were calling teams to explore a potential trade of Kupp. It's unclear whether their approach has changed, but L.
A.'s hopes of competing in 2024 are certainly much different than they were just days ago. McVay addressed the speculation after Thursday's win, revealing that the Rams informed Kupp about trade inquiries from other teams but explaining that some of the rumors circulating aren't accurate.
Sean McVay confirms that teams have reached out about the possibility of trading for Cooper Kupp and the team had let him know - but that there’s also a lot of speculation, and says certain things he’s seen floating around are not true and have been addressed. The idea of trading Kupp, a franchise great if only because of his historic 2021 season, seemed to make sense. The Rams were closer to the bottom of the standings than a playoff spot in the NFC at the time, and the 31-year-old Kupp has a lengthy injury history.
A couple healthy games from Kupp could help build his value ahead of the deadline, while the Rams could move forward with Nacua and rookie Jordan Whittington at the wide receiver position. At this point, though, trading Kupp might mean pulling the rug out from under Stafford just when the offense is heating up. The Rams are one game out of first place in the NFC West, trailing the Seahawks, and they already have a win over the 49ers this season.
If the Rams could go from 3-6 to 10-7 and in the playoffs last season, why not from 3-4, as well? Kupp can still be traded in the offseason, but the Rams would have to hope he doesn't go down with another injury that diminishes his value. That's always a risk with the former Super Bowl MVP, but the risk might be worthwhile if they feel they can make a deep run in the NFC..
