Los Angeles Rams

The Matthew Stafford-Cooper Kupp connection continues to be impressive.

Even though it came in a losing effort, the quarterback-wide receiver duo still showed just how electric they can be.

Cooper Kupp with a beautiful sideline grab!

(via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/Z4BroBvgSQ

— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) September 9, 2024

Matthew Stafford to Cooper Kupp is automatic
pic.twitter.com/q5GKrhmRo1

— PFF (@PFF) September 9, 2024

Los Angeles was down 17-3 at one point in the game but had a strong second half to get back into the game. This came against a Detroit team that reached the NFC Championship last season, so the effort is at least something the Rams can build on.

Kyren Williams led the Rams in rushing with 50 yards and a touchdown. However, it was Kupp and Stafford who really produced the magic.

"That is RIDONKULOUS" - @CollinsworthPFF

What Cris said... 😱 pic.twitter.com/JyJyqoIQDH

— NFL (@NFL) September 9, 2024

Stafford went 34-of-49 for 317 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Kupp had 14 catches for 114 yards and a touchdown.

Fans took to social media to praise the performances of Stafford and Kupp.

Vintage Matthew Stafford. What a drive.

— Eli Hershkovich (@EliHershkovich) September 9, 2024

…and that is why the Rams have Stafford. Absolutely legendary in the fourth quarter.

— Blaine Grisak 💭 (@bgrisakTST) September 9, 2024

Complete domination from Stafford and Kupp on that drive. That was surgical.

— Hunter (@HunterHodies) September 9, 2024

Cooper Kupp, you’re ridiculous.

— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) September 9, 2024

Cooper Kupp now has a dozen games with 10+ receptions in his career.

Surpassing Torry Holt for the most such games in team history. pic.twitter.com/GyJVVHZpKk

— StatMuse (@statmuse) September 9, 2024

each of Stafford's last two performances in Detroit have been spectacular

— Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner) September 9, 2024

Matthew Stafford proving elite QB play can overcome poor O-line situations. Surgical.

— Kevin Patra (@kpatra) September 9, 2024

Cooper Kupp is that guy who just burns everyone he plays and never says a word about it.

— Andrew Brandt (@AndrewBrandt) September 9, 2024

Stafford tonight is why Lions fans loved him so much for so long. Tough as nails, never gives up, finds ways to make plays to the end.

— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) September 9, 2024

Stafford tonight is why Lions fans loved him so much for so long. Tough as nails, never gives up, finds ways to make plays to the end.

— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) September 9, 2024

*points at screen* so yeah that's why all the football nerds love Matthew Stafford

— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) September 9, 2024

If you think Matthew Stafford isn’t a HOF QB you simply do not know ball

— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) September 9, 2024

Stafford these last 20 minutes, basically pic.twitter.com/yj2Gc8dAuh

— David Helman (@davidhelman_) September 9, 2024

Stafford has gone nuclear. Carrying the offense. Incredible to watch.

— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) September 9, 2024

The Lions were able to tie it with a late field goal in regulation and took the overtime possession to the house. It was quarterback Jared Goff's first regular-season win against his former team.

Stafford and the Rams have now lost two straight games against the Lions but still appear to have a promising season ahead of them. A win in Week 1 would have been a great way to begin the season, but the effort is something Los Angeles will hope to carry into the season.

The Rams will be back in action in Week 2 when they travel to Arizona to face the Cardinals.

Los Angeles Rams star wide receiver Puka Nacua will not return to the team's Week 1 matchup with the Detroit Lions on Sunday due to a knee injury, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Nacua sustained the injury in the second quarter and was originally listed as questionable to return. He briefly came back onto the field before exiting once again, with Jordan Rodrigue of The Athletic reporting that he was sitting with the team's medical staff on the bench.

Before he was declared out, Nacua caught all four of his targets for 35 yards.

The 23-year-old previously suffered a knee injury during a joint practice with the Los Angeles Chargers on Aug. 5, causing him to miss several weeks of training camp as well as the Rams' three preseason contests. He was eventually able to return to practice on Aug. 26.

Nacua was listed as a full participant in practice during each day leading up to Sunday night's game and wasn't in danger of missing the contest due to the prior knee issue.

The Rams will be hoping that his injury isn't too serious, as the former fifth-round pick is coming off a record-breaking rookie season. Nacua racked up 105 catches for 1,486 yards in 2023, with both marks representing the highest single-season totals by any first-year player in NFL history. He also recorded six touchdown grabs.

Puka Nacua did some special things last season 🐏

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/I7NvUBMRQD

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) July 11, 2024

If he's unable to return in time for Week 2, Cooper Kupp should continue to operate as Matthew Stafford's No. 1 target and could receive an even larger workload. Tyler Johnson, Demarcus Robinson and Tutu Atwell are all candidates for expanded roles.

Nacua's status moving forward is currently unknown, although he's in danger of missing a game for the first time in his NFL career against the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 15.

The Los Angeles Rams are now three years removed from winning Super Bowl LVI, but many around the NFL aren't ready to count them out just yet.

According to The Athletic's Jeff Howe, "There's so much respect around the league for [Matthew] Stafford and head coach Sean McVay that the Rams are expected to be NFC contenders once again."

The Rams are coming off a bounce-back year in which they reached the playoffs but fell to the Detroit Lions in the NFC Wild Card Round. Stafford, who was limited to nine games in 2022 due to a back injury, rebounded in a big way and was selected to his second career Pro Bowl after throwing for 3,965 yards, 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

Howe explained that the 36-year-old could be in for another big year because his "handle on the offense is admired in the building." An instance in practice exemplified the way Stafford's command of the team can lead the Rams to success.

"This might be a small example, but he made a slight adjustment with a play call during one practice this summer that had the entire offense gushing on the sideline, including coaches and players who were listening on the headsets," Howe stated.

The path to the Super Bowl will not be easy this year in the competitive NFC, but the Rams should be confident in their chances as long as Stafford can stay healthy.

Los Angeles will face a tough test right out of the gate when it faces Detroit on Sunday Night Football in Week 1.

The Los Angeles Rams are reportedly adding a familiar name to their coaching staff.

Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic and ESPN's Pete Thamel reported Sunday that head coach Sean McVay is hiring former NFL player and former Nebraska head coach Scott Frost. Thamel noted the position is officially senior football analyst, while Rodrigue said Frost "will help with a variety of roles on the staff (including special teams where they have a vacancy)."

Rodrigue also explained "this has been in the works for a few days" after Frost spent time with the Rams during training camp.

Frost is more closely associated with the college game, but he played in the NFL for five seasons from 1998 through 2003 for the New York Jets, Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While he played quarterback collegiately at Nebraska, he was a defensive back during his playing days in the NFL.

He went into coaching following his NFL career and worked his way up to offensive coordinator for Oregon while helping lead the Ducks to the College Football Playoff national championship game during the 2014 campaign

His first head coaching job came at UCF starting with the 2016 season, and he led the Knights to a 13-0 record and Peach Bowl victory over Auburn in his second year at the helm.

As a result of the immediate turnaround with a team from the American Athletic Conference, he seemed like an obvious hire for Nebraska when it had a coaching vacancy ahead of the 2018 season. After all, it was his alma mater and he already proved he can thrive in multiple roles in the college game.

Unfortunately for Frost and the Cornhuskers, it didn't work out that way.

He went 16-31 and was fired after three games during his fifth season in 2022. It was a disappointing tenure and overshadowed some of the impressive things he did at Oregon and UCF.

But he will now have another chance to make an impact in the coaching profession with a Rams team that is coming off a playoff appearance. Los Angeles once again has high expectations with McVay and quarterback Matthew Stafford leading the way, and Frost will surely look to help however possible.

The Rams start the 2024 season on the road against the Detroit Lions next Sunday.

Kyren Williams is excited about a return to special teams.

The Los Angeles Rams running back will get an opportunity to return punts in 2024 while also manning starting duties in the backfield. The 24-year-old cited playmaking opportunities as a positive.

"Being who I am, like you just said, I get to make more plays," Williams said, per Stu Jackson of TheRams.com. "And so I feel like that's just going to be able to show everybody else what more I can do in this game of football, being able to play a lot of green grass and have a lot of space and get good blocks from my jammers up front, get those punts started. But I'm excited to just to be able to show another phase of football that I can play."

Rams coach Sean McVay said that he "felt comfortable" allowing Williams to log some special teams opportunities due to his confidence in depth running backs Blake Corum and Ronnie Rivers. They could potentially fill in for Williams in some early drive sequences if needed and Williams could shift some focus towards giving Los Angeles some strong field position.

This contrasts with the strategy Mike McCarthy and the Dallas Cowboys are taking, as McCarthy said that running back Rico Dowdle will have a "lesser role" on special teams due to "workload focus."

Williams has 228 carries for 1,144 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2023, earning a Pro Bowl selection for his efforts. The third-year tailback had just three punt returns and one kick return in 2023.

The Rams will open up the 2024 season on Sept. 8 against the Detroit Lions.

Puka Nacua's offseason injury will not linger into the regular season.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that the second-year wide receiver is a full participant in practice and will be "ready to roll" for the Rams' Week 1 matchup against the Detroit Lions.

#Rams coach Sean McVay, on WR Puka Nacua, who is practicing fully after a knee issue.
 
“He’ll be ready to roll.”

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 29, 2024

Nacua suffered a knee injury in early August. He took part in drills for the first time since the injury on Aug. 26.

He originally suffered the injury while trying to make a catch in a red zone drill during a joint practice with the Los Angeles Chargers. He was initially considered week-to-week, but this positive development is huge for the Rams offense.

Nacua burst onto the scene as a rookie, making 105 catches for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns. He would earn a Pro Bowl nod for his efforts and would finish second for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

He will play alongside Cooper Kupp in the receiver room and will serve as a major target for quarterback Matt Stafford. The Rams went 10-7 in 2023 and reached the playoffs for the first time since winning Super Bowl LVI.

The season opener against the Lions is set to kick off Sept. 8 at 8:20 p.m. ET.

Los Angeles Rams star wide receiver Cooper Kupp recently sold his Oregon mansion for $3 million.

According to TMZ Sports, Kupp put the four-acre property located in Wilsonville, Oregon, on the market for $3.5 million, and he ultimately settled for the $3 million price tag.

Kupp, who is originally from Yakima, Washington, which is about a four-hour drive from the Oregon border, reportedly decided to sell house since he was "spending more time in California these days than he and his family had planned."

Per TMZ, Kupp's mansion is 5,700 square feet and complete with five bedrooms, eight bathrooms, hardwood floors, French doors, a gym and a guest house, plus he built a 4,600-square-foot building to train in.

Kupp, 31, is coming off a couple of injury-plagued seasons on the heels of his historic 2021 campaign.

In 2021, Kupp was named a Pro Bowler and First Team All-Pro for the first and only time, plus he won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award and finished third in NFL MVP voting by virtue of his league-leading 145 receptions for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Kupp also won the Super Bowl and was named Super Bowl MVP, capping one of the greatest seasons by a wideout in NFL history.

He hasn't come close to that level of production since then, and injuries have been among the main culprits.

Kupp was trending toward another spectacular season in 2022, but a high ankle sprain ended his year after nine games and he finished with 75 catches for 812 yards and six scores.

Last season, Kupp missed five more games due to a hamstring injury and ended up recording 59 grabs for 737 yards and five touchdowns.

Puka Nacua may have surpassed Kupp as quarterback Matthew Stafford's favorite target last season as a rookie, but if Kupp can stay healthy in 2024, there should be plenty of footballs to go around for both of them.

Fantasy football players beware.

Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams may see his workload decrease because he will return punts this season.

Rams head coach Sean McVay told reporters Tuesday the plan is for the starting running back to also return punts. He said the reason is because of his belief in backups Blake Corum and Ronnie Rivers to spell Williams at times, especially if he is working in other roles as a punt returner.

That should raise alarms for fantasy players for multiple reasons.

The biggest one is the belief in the backups, which will surely lead to fewer carries for Williams. Few things in fantasy football can undercut a running back's value more than becoming part of a backfield committee, even one as talented as the presumed starter.

It is also fair to worry about Williams' health, as returning punts could expose him to further risk after he was limited to 10 games as a rookie in 2022 and 12 games last season.

Despite missing time, the Notre Dame product still enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2023 with 1,144 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground to go with 32 catches for 206 yards and three touchdowns as a receiver.

Was Kyren Williams the biggest surprise of the 2023 season?@kyrenwilliams23 | @RamsNFL pic.twitter.com/1KI7Basmnn

— NFL (@NFL) March 29, 2024

Thanks to that effort, he is seen by many as a top running back candidate in fantasy circles for the 2024 season.

According to NFL.com, Williams' average draft position of 20.86 is eighth-highest among all players at his position and behind only marquee names Christian McCaffrey, Breece Hall, Bijan Robinson, Saquon Barkley, Jonathan Taylor, Jahmyr Gibbs and Derrick Henry.

But those running backs aren't expected to return punts for their respective teams.

For the rare league that grants points for punt return yardage for individual players, that makes Williams even more valuable. However, most will surely greet McVay's revelation with a healthy dose of concern, at least from a fantasy perspective.

Linebacker Ernest Jones IV is on the move after all.

NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported Tuesday the Los Angeles Rams traded Jones to the Tennessee Titans, while NFL Network's Ian Rapoport provided the full details:

Details:
— The #Titans receive Ernest Jones & a 2026 6th rounder.
— The #Rams receive a 2026 5th rounder. https://t.co/yEKSPhYAFk

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 27, 2024

This comes after ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported the Rams granted Jones permission to seek a trade on Sunday, although the linebacker said on social media he did not request a trade.

He is entering the final year of his contract and is set to make $3.1 million in base salary during the upcoming season. The Rams were facing the legitimate possibility of watching him leave to join another team next offseason and at least got something back in return with this move.

Fowler noted the two sides made "no progress" on discussions regarding a contract extension, so this was the next logical step.

In March, Rams general manager Les Snead said there were no plans to sign Jones to an extension as he played through the last year of his rookie deal, per ESPN's Sarah Barshop.

"We prioritized spending our resources on additions rather than re-signing from within," Snead said.

That leaves the linebacker on the Titans after quite the start to his career. He helped the Rams win a Super Bowl as a rookie after they selected him with a third-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft and then followed up with back-to-back seasons of more than 100 tackles.

Rookie LB Ernest Jones takes down Burrow! #RamsHouse

📺: #SBLVI on NBC
📱: https://t.co/K02y40b5Nu pic.twitter.com/cCJDafW9oc

— NFL (@NFL) February 14, 2022

He posted 145 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and six passes defended in 15 games last season, which were all career-high numbers. He was also the Rams' defensive play-caller and one of the leaders of the team.

Jones is just 24 years old and figures to remain a productive linebacker for the foreseeable future after such an impressive showing.

The Titans need to make defensive strides if they are going to challenge for a playoff spot after going 6-11 last year, and he can help them do just that following this move.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has gone from "Mr. Irrelevant" to one of the top signal-callers in the league, and he's earned the respect of his peers.

ESPN polled a group of 103 NFL players, and Purdy tied for the lead as the NFL's most underrated quarterback alongside Los Angeles Rams veteran Matthew Stafford, with both of them receiving 14 votes.

After being picked last in the 2022 NFL draft, Purdy took full advantage of his opportunity to seize San Francisco's starting quarterback position and established himself as a franchise cornerstone. He capped his sophomore season by leading the 49ers to Super Bowl LVIII, but the team fell short against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Purdy led the NFL with a 113.0 quarterback rating and an adjusted QBR of 72.8 while throwing for 4,280 yards, 31 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He completed 69.4 percent of his passes and also added two rushing touchdowns.

The 49ers are the favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl once again, so Purdy will have to remain steady to help the team reach that goal.

Stafford, who is entering his 16th season in the NFL, is coming off his second career Pro Bowl selection after throwing for 3,965 yards, 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The 36-year-old spent 12 years with the Detroit Lions, but he started earning respect around the league when he was traded to the Rams and helped lead the team to a Super Bowl title in 2021.

"When you're at the level he's been at for so long, people take it for granted a little bit," an NFC West player said of Stafford. "And being in Detroit, maybe the market for the attention wasn't really there. Now that he's in L.A. for a few years, hopefully that market catches up with the talent that he has."