Cooper Kupp of the Rams hates playing two home games in a five-day span.
Speaking with media on Tuesday, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver and Super Bowl LVI Most Valuable Player Cooper Kupp made it clear that he is not looking forward to playing on the SoFi Stadium turf twice in five days.
According to Kupp’s statement, “As you know, I hate it,” Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported. “I generally dislike playing on turf, and it’s difficult to play back-to-back on a short week. Yet things are as they are. I’m positive that people are aware of it. You know, if there is going to be change, it’s not because people are unaware of it. So that’s how things are.”
After defeating the Washington Commanders 28โ20 at home on Sunday, the Rams are now 7โ7. This Thursday, they will host the 7โ7 New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium. Before the prime-time game, Los Angeles has a 54.2% probability to qualify for the playoffs according to the ESPN Football Power Index. Los Angeles also owns the final NFC wild-card postseason berth.
This season, Kupp is just the latest NFL player to voice grievances about competing on artificial fields. According to Florio, “not a single current player has said, ‘I prefer playing on turf because I can run faster, even if it takes me longer to get out of bed the next day.'” It is commonly believed that club owners prefer turf because it is less expensive to maintain than all-grass fields throughout the year.
Kupp continued, “Like I said, it’s the same thing about playing Thursday night.” You have to do it everything. that’s a necessary aspect of the game that everyone must complete on grass, so you have to cope with that.”
The NFL and Amazon have an 11-year deal for the broadcast rights to “Thursday Night Football” games, which was projected to be worth an average of $1.2 billion annually in May 2021. “TNF” is here to stay, much like turf, despite what players, commentators, and fans may think about those topics.
Potential postseason position is at risk when Saints play Rams.
Los Angeles Rams: With four straight victories, the team has taken the final NFC wild-card playoff spot. In addition to being a wild-card candidate, the New Orleans Saints have won two straight games and are tied for the best record in the NFC South. This Thursday night’s matchup between the two 7-7 clubs in Los Angeles has significant postseason implications.
The return of running back Kyren Williams from an ankle ailment has helped the Rams’ comeback. Since his return, he has averaging 124.3 rushing yards per game. In each of the past two games, wide receiver Cooper Kupp has tied his season high of eight catches, ending with 111 and 115 yards. In the past three games, he has scored a touchdown.
The Rams’ offensive efficiency in the red zone is something head coach Sean McVay is seeking to restore. When it comes to the percentage of red-zone trips that result in touchdowns (60.5), Los Angeles is ranked 11th in the NFL, but over the last two games, it has only reached 50%. Last week, the Rams defeated Washington 28โ20 at home while going just 1 for 3. They were 3-for-5 two weeks ago, which cost them their lone loss in the previous six weeks a 37-31 overtime setback at Baltimore.
“We’ve been pretty good in the red zone overall,” McVay stated. The fact we went straight down the field on our first drive and had to settle for a field goal raised awareness, especially in the last few weeks. In the end, you want to score touchdowns. I need to get better at making play calls.”
In the same way that New Orleans has enhanced its performance within the 20-yard line, the Rams aim to enhance their red-zone output. After scoring nine touchdowns in ten red-zone trips during the last three games, the Saints, who had spent the majority of the season near the bottom of the NFL in red-zone efficiency, have climbed up to 21st place.
Coach Dennis Allen’s decision to spend more practice time in the red zone corresponds with the improvement. In a 24-6 victory at home against the New York Giants on Sunday, the Saints went 2-for-2, increasing their season touchdown percentage to 52%. “You get what you emphasize,” Allen stated, “and I think the extra amount of practice that we’ve spent on red zone has been good for us.”
After Allen pushed the team’s older players to perform better the previous week, New Orleans had a season-high seven sacks in the team’s victory over the Giants. “I think a lot of those guys took that as a personal challenge,” said Allen, “and I think you saw some of our veteran players really step up and play at an exceptionally high level.”
Since both teams conducted walkthroughs on Tuesday, the amount of work that would have been involved in a complete practice was estimated in their practice reports. Starting wide receiver Chris Olave (ankle), who also missed the previous week’s game, was upgraded to limited action, while Saints starting lineman Ryan Ramczyk (knee) did not play. Only offensive lineman Joseph Noteboom (foot) and backup cornerback Tre Tomlinson (hamstring) missed practice on Tuesday for the Rams. This season, Noteboom has participated in 12 games, starting seven of them.
Three of the NFL playoffs’ most dangerous teams
In the NFL, a number of teams vying for a spot in the playoffs are heating up just in time. These are excellent teams to upset in the first round if they enter as the lowest seed.
Three of the most potent clubs still in the postseason hunt are highlighted here.
Buffalo Bills (8-6) | Upcoming games: Chargers away, Patriots at home, Dolphins,ย After losing 24-22 to the Denver Broncos in Week 10, the Bills reached a low point and fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey. But Buffalo didn’t stay down for long; over the next four games, the team won three of them and cemented its place in the postseason hunt.
Thanks to a spectacular day for running back James Cook, the Bills’ formidable offense against the Cowboys in Week 15 appeared even more terrifying. In Buffalo’s 31-10 victory, the 24-year-old caught two passes for 42 yards and a touchdown in addition to running 25 times for 179 yards and a touchdown.
Although Josh Allen is frequently asked to carry his team, he barely required assistance on Sunday. It is only the fifth game in his career that the standout quarterback has finished with fewer than 100 passing yards (7 of 15 passes for 94 yards). With a strong running game and less pressure on Allen, the Bills could be able to contain Buffalo’s offense, which could be unstoppable in the postseason.
But the Bills aren’t content to merely make it to the postseason by accident. As Miami (10-4) leads the AFC East, they have a formidable schedule ahead of them (at the Cowboys, at the Ravens, and against the Bills).
Rams of Los Angeles | 7-7 | The remaining games are at the Giants, 49ers, and Saints.
Earlier in the season, a slew of injuries to key players stopped Los Angeles’ offensive from playing to its fullest capacity. But with everyone back to full strength, the team is among the best in the NFL.
With four straight victories, the Rams have scored 149 points, which is the fourth-highest total in the NFL during that time. After finishing eighth in passing yards per game (255.4), seventh in QBR (62.8), and tenth in passing touchdowns (21), Matthew Stafford is once again performing like a quarterback in the top 10. Top target Cooper Kupp, who just finished two games with eight receptions and over 100 receiving yards, has shown indications of returning to his peak.
With wide receiver Puka Nacua and standout running back Kyren Williams also in the mix, the offense should be able to compete in a shootout with any team that is ranked higher.ย Bucs of Tampa Bay | (7-7) | The remaining games are at the Panthers, Saints, and Jaguars.
This season has been quite the journey; Tampa Bay began the year 3-1 but struggled terribly through a difficult 1-6 run. After winning their last three games, the Buccaneers have returned to winning ways and are currently atop the lackluster NFC South.
In Week 15, Tampa Bay showed what it was made of with a masterful 34-20 victory over the Green Bay Packers. With 22 of 28 throws for 381 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions, Baker Mayfield became the first quarterback from an opposing team to record a perfect passer rating (156.3) at Lambeau Field. With another successful season under his belt, running back Rachaad White recorded 139 scrimmage yards and a touchdown.
Mayfield has 24 touchdowns to just eight interceptions this season, so as long as he plays at a high level, the Buccaneers have enough weapons (think Chris Godwin and Mike Evans) to contend for a postseason run.