INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams are desperately hoping their No. 1 receiver is about to return to their lineup.
The Las Vegas Raiders are finally beginning life without their own top pass catcher. Two offenses that have struggled this season without their most dynamic playmakers will meet Sunday at SoFi Stadium. The Rams (1-4) host the Raiders (2-4) in a meeting of Los Angeles' two favorite NFL teams.
Cooper Kupp is hoping to play for the first time since spraining his ankle in Week 2 for the Rams, who have stumbled out to the worst start of Sean McVay's career . Record-setting rookie Puka Nacua has also been out with a knee injury since Week 1, but Kupp's significant presence on and off the field is vital to Los Angeles' entire identity as a team. “There's just a calming presence when a guy like Cooper Kupp is on the field,” Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said.
“He's been there, he's done that. There's just certain things that he just gets, he sees. Just the small, minute alignments in defenses, and the information he brings back to coaches, there's just a reason he's had the success he's had.
He's a tremendous athlete and receiver, but he's got a mind that's pretty unique." McVay has acknowledged the difficulty of trying to move the ball without the Super Bowl 56 MVP, saying Kupp's absence has altered his play-calling “significantly.” “I’ve been with Cooper for eight years, and there’s a certain comfort,” McVay added.
"There’s an.