The Los Angeles Rams nearly blew their Divisional Round face-off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
With Tom Brady under center, the Super Bowl LV champions found a way to overhaul a 24-point deficit and potentially send the game to overtime.
Anything can happen during the extra period, and Brady is as tough as steel during that situation.
However, Cooper Kupp played like Superman in the game’s final 42 seconds.
He kept on flying all over the field to make arguably the biggest catch of his five-year career.
But that fantastic highlight wasn’t extraordinary because he’s been making those completions all season long.
An MVP-Worthy Season
It will be a travesty if the former Eastern Washington standout does not finish in the top five voting for the NFL Most Valuable Player.
While the league’s most significant individual award has gone to quarterbacks since 2013, it’s hard to ignore the numbers Kupp had throughout the 17-game season.
He won the Triple Crown by having the most receptions (145), touchdowns (16), and yards (1,947) among wide receivers.
Kupp was just 18 yards short of breaking Calvin Johnson‘s single-season record for receiving yards.
He had 11 games of at least 100 yards and five games of more than one touchdown.
His best game came in Week 2 against the Indianapolis Colts, finishing with nine catches for 163 yards and two touchdowns.
However, Kupp sustained his brilliant play, which helped the Rams clinch the NFC West with a 12-5 record.
While he only had 61 yards during their Super Wild Card game against division rival Arizona Cardinals, he had one touchdown catch in a lopsided contest.
But the great ones always come up big during pressure-packed situations.
He proved his elite talent against the Buccaneers on the road.
Saving The Best For The Playoffs
The regular season looked like a warmup after seeing the damage he dealt against Tampa Bay.
He caught a 70-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford on a third-and-20 to establish a 17-3 advantage.
Kupp found an open zone in the Buccaneers’ secondary and outran the defenders after making the catch.
However, that’s not even the reception that cemented his spot in Rams folklore.
The team looked gassed and rattled during the dying minutes of the game.
Momentum shifted to the Buccaneers after forcing a deadlock at 27.
Los Angeles had less than a minute to arrive at field goal range.
Worst, Stafford absorbed a sack from Ndamukong Suh and Jason Pierre-Paul on first down.
The Rams got going when Stafford found Kupp near the sidelines for a 20-yard gain.
After getting another first down, the Stafford-Kupp connection delivered a haymaker to Tampa Bay.
The Buccaneers rushed six men, hoping to tackle Stafford, with a seventh person acting as a spy at the middle of the field.
This scenario meant one-on-one coverage between the Rams receivers and the Buccaneers secondary.
Kupp found an extra boost of speed to run past Antoine Winfield Jr. and complete a 44-yard play.
Matt Gay then converted his kick to send the Rams to the NFC Championship Game.
Captain Kupp To The Rescue Again
The Rams will host the San Francisco 49ers, with the winner advancing to Super Bowl LVI.
Los Angeles would like to take a page off the Buccaneers’ script and become a home team participant in the big game.
However, the Niners are not an easy opponent, especially after defeating the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
Sean McVay’s troops want nothing more than to avenge their Week 18 loss against the Niners.
For that to happen, Kupp must bring out his best yet again.
San Francisco will leave not their hearts, but their championship hopes behind once he gets into a groove.
More must-reads: