LOS ANGELES — For a few weeks, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford had been without his usual brainstorming partner for his morning film sessions. But the past two weeks, as wide receiver Cooper Kupp has ramped up his efforts to return from an ankle sprain, the pair have been reunited in their sunrise preparation.
“He’s always a true pro, but he has been around more lately,” Stafford said with a tongue-in-cheek smile.
After a false alarm last week, Kupp will in fact be back in action for the Rams (2-4) in Thursday night’s game against the Minnesota Vikings (5-1). And his arrival comes at a down time for the team’s offense.
Stafford threw for 154 yards against the Raiders, his lowest single-game total since he was traded to the team prior to the 2021 season. The Rams’ offense produced negative-0.255 expected points added per play against the Raiders, with a 43.4% success rate. The only points the offense scored in that game came on short fields after turnovers forced by the defense.
It was a bad performance in the midst of a disappointing season for the offense. The Rams are averaging 19.0 points per game, which would be the second-lowest in a season since head coach Sean McVay was hired in 2017. The only worse mark came in 2022, when the Rams were besieged by injury.
Injuries have certainly played a part this year, but there are reinforcements on the way. The Rams listed receiver Puka Nacua as questionable against the Vikings. He’s still technically on injured reserve with his knee injury and has been listed as a limited participant at practice the last two days. But those were walk-throughs, not typical workouts.
“To be determined right now,” Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said Tuesday about Nacua’s status for Thursday. “He hasn’t done anything full speed in forever, so lots to determine there.”
But Kupp will be back, and that’s a big deal for Stafford as he tries to rally the troops near the midpoint of the season.
“He is an extension of what I do out there,” Stafford said. “We spend a lot of time together. We think a lot alike and he’s able to communicate, help me out and help all the guys in the offense out. His presence in the huddle and out on the field means a lot to us as a group.”
When the Vikings have the ball
The Rams’ secondary is coming off a breakout performance against the Raiders, and it’s a good thing the unit built some confidence because they’ll need it against the Vikings’ set of pass catchers, particularly Justin Jefferson.
“He is the best in the world so you better have a plan for him,” Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula said.
With linebacker Troy Reeder (hamstring) ruled out for Thursday, the Rams will have to find someone else to wear the green dot and relay play calls to the rest of the defense.
“We’re working through it,” Shula said. “We have a few options just like we had going into the first game. We have a bunch of guys that are capable of doing it so no matter what, we’ll be in good shape on game day.”
When the Rams have the ball
Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has been around the NFL for a long time and has faced off against the Rams’ coaching staff. But that doesn’t mean that the tape available to study is a reliable narrator for teams preparing to face him.
“I got a taste of it in 2021 when he was with Miami and it’s not fun to go against,” LaFleur said. “You click back into that and see what happened, how it’s the same, how it’s different, how it’s evolved. Everyone evolves and he’s right there with the best of him in terms of evolving.”
Related Articles
Minnesota Vikings at Rams: Who has the edge?
Rams WR Cooper Kupp on trade rumors: ‘I’m going to be where my feet are’
Rams quickly turn attention to the challenging Vikings
Rams expect WR Cooper Kupp to return vs. Vikings
Swanson: Where would the Rams be without Kyren Williams, their scoring machine?
The Rams are still deciding on whether to start rookie Justin Dedich at left guard, LaFleur said, after he got his first start there in Week 7. The former USC lineman from Chaparral High in Temecula made some good blocks in the run game against the Raiders, and didn’t allow a quarterback pressure in 26 pass-blocking opportunities.
“He battled, and I thought he just got better as the game went on. I thought he kept battling, competing, getting better and getting more comfortable as the game went on,” LaFleur said. “Now, if he gets that second start, you’d expect him to just … hey, it’s not the first time he’s going out there for that first series and just have that comfort level of, ‘Hey, I belong,’ and continue to improve.”
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (5-1) at RAMS (2-4)
When: 5:15 p.m. Thursday
Where: SoFi Stadium
TV/radio: Amazon Prime/710 AM; 93.1 FM; 1330 AM (Spanish); Sirius 226, 225