After spending a month plus without their top-two wide receivers, the cavalry officially came to save Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams' season in Week 8, with Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp officially making their returns on Thursday Night Football.
The offense looked alive, the Rams looked rejuvenated, and Sean McVay has a ton of people to thank for it, including his medical staff, his trainers, and… third-string quarterback Stetson Bennett?
It's true, discussing the Rams' big returns after Week 8, McVay confirmed to reporters that Bennett was the man tasked with throwing to Kupp and Nacua as they worked their way back into the field. While Bennett's efforts may not earn each praise or even be evident to most fans who aren't super in the weeds, McVay was proud of his contributions all the same, as he too played a role in the Week 8 win.
“I think it's a really cool story. You look at what Stetson has done over the last year and the commitment that he's made to being a pro to studying and learning about the game. I think you saw the improvements in the way that he played in the preseason, and then there's a selflessness about how he approaches things. No task is too small or too big for him to try to be able to help move the needle forward, whether it be for his teammates or whatever is asked of him in that quarterback room,” McVay told reporters.
“I know how much [Quarterbacks Coach] Dave Ragone loves working with him, how much extra time those guys put in post-practice. He's willing to be able to help and assist wherever needed. In a lot of those instances, you're talking about those selfless types of jobs because Jimmy [Garoppolo] takes the majority of the other reps that Matthew's not taking. I've been really pleased and proud of Stetson.”
With exactly zero stats to show for his professional season so far, it would be understandable if Bennett was an afterthought to most fans. But helping to get Nacua and Kupp back on the field? After everything they went through? That is just as valuable to the Rams' overall machine and worthy of note.
Sean McVay credits Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp for explosive impact
Discussing the impact Nacua and Kupp brought back to the Rams' offense in Week 8, McVay credited their ability to go from a few practice reps to huge on-field impacts, as they changed the tenor of the game singlehandedly.
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“I think it was in the walkthrough on Tuesday. No, here's what I would say. I thought it was great, just a boost for our team to be able to get two experienced guys that were ready to go. They were chomping at the bit. They had been prepared. Obviously, we really don't practice leading into this game. You get like 20 full speed reps and those are still minimal as is. It's all above the neck.”
“But I thought Stafford had a look in his eye where he was going to be ready to go and it's like, hey, you're coming with me because we're going to go do this thing the right way. [I] thought he got through progressions. I mean, he looked like Alcaraz on the court escaping the two rushers to be able to throw Cooper Kupp his touchdown. That was a good one, man, give me a courtesy laugh at least (laughter). I think we've got to build on this and it's one game. I'm really pleased with the resolve and the response of this team coming off of the buy and now we got to keep this moment going.”
Accounting for 56 percent of the Rams' passing yards in Week 8, it's safe to say Kupp and Nacua played a major role in the Rams' surprise win over the Minnesota Vikings. Assuming they both remain in LA after the trade deadline, it's safe to say they will remain keys to the Rams' comeback moving forward.
