INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua have missed most of the season due to injury, and the Los Angeles Rams' dismal record reflected it. When both star receivers came back for the same prime-time showcase, they provided exactly what Matthew Stafford and the Rams have been missing all year — and it was something the Minnesota Vikings couldn't match.
Kupp caught a touchdown pass and Nacua had 106 yards receiving in their returns to the lineup, and Stafford passed for 279 yards and four TDs in the Los Angeles Rams ' 30-20 victory over the Vikings on Thursday night. Demarcus Robinson caught two TD passes from Stafford for the Rams (3-4), who won back-to-back games for the first time this season with 386 yards from an offense that looked exponentially more dangerous with its top two receivers in uniform. “They brought a lot of energy to our team, and a ton of confidence,” said Stafford, who had thrown just three TD passes in the Rams’ first six games combined.
“It’s not only just the offense. I know the defense feels it too when those guys are out there making plays.” After missing the previous five games, Nacua had seven catches while posting the eighth 100-yard game of his short career.
Kupp returned from a four-game absence with five catches for 51 yards, including a 27-yard grab for a key first down late in the fourth quarter. “It was just so much fun,” Kupp said. “Offensively, we were just able to find ways to keep the sticks moving.
Guys .
