Rams teacher Sean McVay would love to follow that approach. Amid reports that the Rams had approached teams about buying and selling Kupp ahead of the Nov. 5 trade deadline, McVay said he was “really happy” to have him back in the outfield.
“And that’s what I hope remains the case,” McVay said.
Kupp, who has been out since spraining his left ankle in Year 2, had 5 catches for 51 yards and a touchdown. Nacua led the team with seven receptions for 106 yards on nine targets.
“Teams reached out,” McVay said when asked about the trade scenario. “Some of the things I’ve seen out there just aren’t true.”
Kupp said he’s “not thinking about those things” but stated that he thought there was something “something cool about everything that happens outside the facility, but in a short week, every minute spent preparing, trying to get ready to go.” here and play.
“And it gave me the opportunity to focus on just being where my feet are, being able to prepare as best as possible and be available here and let everything work out,” Kupp said. “And all that is what it is.”
While the Rams were hoping to get Kupp back after he was inactive against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 7, the team kept Nacua’s return closer to the vest. Nacua sprained his posterior cruciate ligament in Week 1 and was placed on injured reserve. The Rams began their 21-day practice window to return from the injured list on Tuesday and activated him before Thursday’s game.
McVay said he learned Monday from vice president of sports medicine and performance Reggie Scott that there was a chance Nacua could play this week rather than wait until Week 9 against the Seattle Seahawks.
“[Nacua] He said, ‘I don’t know, I feel great,'” McVay said. “He went and had a training consultation where he ran routes and did a great job. His movement seemed excellent. I talked to him and said, ‘Do you want to try to give this a try?’ And he said he was sure.”
McVay, who has preached the importance of “returning to efficiency” versus “returning to play” when talking about players returning from injury, said Nacua “had shown that he used to be in a position for that efficiency.”
“And this man’s mindset, his mentality… he’s a confrontational dad, he’s a stud,” McVay said. “I love his power of play and what he brings to the table. He was in a position to advance tonight and had a big influence on the game.”
Due to the short week, Nacua was unable to participate in a padded practice. Quarterback Matthew Stafford said he had thrown Nacua “one, maybe two balls in practice in the past, and that’s the first time since the first game.”
It was Nacua’s eighth career game (of 19 played) with 100 receiving yards. That’s tied with Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson for the second-most within the first 20 games of a player’s career in the Super Bowl era, according to ESPN Research.
The Rams scored a season-high 30 points on Thursday, snapping a streak of 10 consecutive games under 30, according to ESPN Research.
And while McVay said “everybody was involved” in the victory, there’s no doubt about the “spark” and “power” that the return of Kupp and Nacua brought to the offense.
“There’s self-confidence, there’s calmness, there’s a relationship that’s been established with Matthew and Cooper over time and later with Puka and Matthew at the last moment and later in this season,” McVay said. “And so, those guys are players.
“And Matthew brought out the best in each other. But I thought Puka and Cooper were ready to go. They made an impact.”
