Super Bowl 2022: Cooper Kupp gets overlooked, even after winning Triple Crown for receivers

LOS ANGELES — Cooper Kupp has emerged as one of the NFL’s most dominant receivers, one of only five unanimous All-Pro selections on The Associated Press ballot after achieving the rare "Triple Crown" crown in leading the NFL in catches (145), yards (1,947) and touchdowns (16). But if you’re looking for a measure of just how overlooked Kupp remains despite his accomplishments, consider this: He’s not even the most widely known receiver on his own team.

That distinction belongs to Odell Beckham Jr., the gifted yet controversial former Giants receiver whose dazzling one-handed catch in prime time as a rookie in 2014 catapulted him to stardom but also signaled the beginning of a tumultuous career that played out on back pages and sports talk shows. Beckham joined the Rams in November after Robert Woods went down with a season-ending knee injury and has been a significant contributor in the Super Bowl run.

But it’s Kupp who is the real engine of the receiving game, and his understated demeanor belies the dazzling contributions to the Rams’ offense.

"We’d have no chance of being here today [in the Super Bowl] without Cooper Kupp," Rams coach Sean McVay said.

No doubt.

After a spectacular regular season, during which he gained traction as a potential MVP candidate, Kupp has been splendid in the playoffs. He helped the Rams to a 20-17 comeback win over the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game with 11 catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns.

And a week earlier, he had nine catches for 183 yards and a touchdown in a stirring 30-27 win over the defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers, including a clutch reception on the game-winning drive after Tom Brady brought Tampa back to a 27-27 tie.

That play exemplified what Kupp is all about. He was assigned to run a deep post route and wasn’t Matthew Stafford’s primary target. Kupp called it a "love of the game" pattern because it doesn’t lead to personal acclaim but does set the stage for a teammate’s success. Only this time, Kupp and Stafford realized that the Bucs had blitzed on the play, leaving him wide open down the middle. Stafford fired off a deep pass, Kupp lunged for the ball and got inside the Buccaneers' 10 to set up the deciding field goal.

"You’re rarely getting the ball thrown to you," Kupp said. "You’re really just trying to pull people out for the other routes that are happening around you, so we just call it a ‘love of the game’ route."

In the NFC title game, Kupp helped bring the Rams back from a 17-7 deficit, and his clutch catch on a third-down play in the fourth quarter led to his tying touchdown catch.

For all that brilliance, though, Kupp still doesn’t get the kind of attention of many of the more widely known members in the wide receiver community. Like Beckham. But his fellow receivers know Kupp is in elite company. And has been for a long time. They see his speed, his cutting ability, his toughness. And they also see how he recovered from a torn ACL he suffered in November 2018 to once again dominate the league.

There was the time in 2020 when Packers All-Pro receiver Davante Adams, often considered the league’s greatest receiver, watched Kupp produce 11 catches for 145 yards in a game against the Bucs. "Cooper Kupp is the most underrated receiver in the league," Adams tweeted.

Even after his "Triple Crown" accomplishment during the regular season, Kupp still manages to slide under the radar. But McVay has known about Kupp’s value for years. And as a former high school receiver, McVay can attest to just how astonishing Kupp truly is.

"I’m jealous I couldn’t do what he did," McVay said. "He’s incredible, he really is. Players like that are why you coach — to be able to work with such special people that are really just amazing human beings and also happen to be really special, unique football players as well."

And maybe McVay has an inkling why Kupp might not be as celebrated as some other high-profile receivers.

"He’s so modest," McVay said. "He goes right back to work and is so steady and consistent with his approach."

Kupp’s journey to the top of the NFL receiving charts began quietly. Even though he was an All-American at Eastern Washington, he lasted until the third round of the 2017 draft. He became a big factor in the passing game the following year, but the knee injury kept him out of the team’s Super Bowl run, which ended with a loss to the Patriots.

He’s back this time, and could be the difference maker that gives the Rams the winning edge. Bengals coach Zac Taylor, who was a Rams’ assistant and coached Kupp before going to Cincinnati in 2019, knows firsthand just how dangerous he can be.

"Coop’s a big-picture thinker," Taylor said. "He really understands the structure of the defenses, the nuances of the route running. He cares about the run game as well. There’s oftentimes he would screenshot pictures of defenses with run thoughts. You would wake up the next morning to a midnight text from Cooper Kupp with thoughts on things that could help the offense."

Special guy. And maybe by the time Sunday’s game ends, more of America will know just how special.

By Bob Glauber

Special to NewsdayBobGlauber

Bob Glauber retired in 2022 after covering the NFL for nearly 40 years. He was selected in 2021 for the Bill Nunn Career Achievement Award by the Pro Football Writers of America, and is a three-time winner of the New York State Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. President of the PFWA for the 2018-20 seasons, he is the author of “The Forgotten First” and “Guts and Genius.”