Cooper Kupp will play Thursday, but will it be his last game with the Rams?
Rams receiver Cooper Kupp will return to the lineup Thursday night against the Minnesota Vikings at SoFi Stadium. Puka Nacua will not play, but the second-year pro was designated to return to practice on Tuesday.
Will the two stars play in another game together?
The NFL trade deadline is Nov. 5.
The Rams’ poor start (2-4) and Kupp’s large contract has the league buzzing that the Rams might move the 2021 NFL offensive player of the year.
Rams running back Kyren Williams looking to make history vs. Vikings
Rams running back Kyren Williams has rushed for a touchdown in every game this season.
If the third-year pro does it again Thursday night against the Minnesota Vikings, he will become the seventh player in NFL history to rush for touchdowns in the first seven games. Former Vikings running back Dalvin Cook was the last player to achieve the feat in 2020.
Hall of Famer John Riggins established an NFL record by rushing for touchdowns in the first 12 games of Washington’s 1983 season. Riggins was held without a touchdown in only one of Washington’s 15 games.
Last season, Williams rushed for 1,144 yards and scored 15 touchdowns in 11 games and made the Pro Bowl.
This season, he has rushed for 436 yards, including 76 in last Sunday’s 20-15 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. He also has a touchdown catch.
Puka Nacua officially active for Rams vs. Vikings
Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua is officially active for Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings at SoFi Stadium. As expected, wide receiver Cooper Kupp is also active.
Here’s a look at the players who won’t be suiting up:
Rams inactives: QB Stetson Bennett, CB Tre’Davious White, RB Cody Shcrader, WR Jordan Whittington, DL Desjuan Johnson.
Cooper Kupp won’t be only familiar face returning when Rams play host to Vikings
Cooper Kupp is aware of the buzz about the Rams possibly trading him.
But the veteran receiver’s focus Thursday night will be on returning to the lineup for the first time since suffering an ankle injury in the second week of the season.
“I’m feeling really good,” Kupp said this week as the Rams prepared for their game against the Minnesota Vikings at SoFi Stadium.
It remains to be seen whether the Rams will move on from the 2021 NFL offensive player of the year by the Nov. 5 NFL trade deadline — or keep him if coach Sean McVay’s injury-plagued team shows signs of mounting a turnaround and playoff drive for the second season in a row.
Rough Sunday for QBs but Matthew Stafford and Rams survive
It was a brutal Sunday for NFL quarterbacks.
Injuries, inefficiencies and in-your-face defenses made for rough outings all around the league.
The Rams beat the Las Vegas Raiders, 20-15, and the quarterbacks combined for zero touchdowns and four interceptions.
Meanwhile, Patrick Mahomes and Brock Purdy combined for zero touchdowns and five interceptions in Kansas City’s 28-18 win at San Francisco.
NFL Week 8 picks: Rams seek first winning streak as Vikings come to town on short week
Los Angeles Times NFL writer Sam Farmer examines the matchups this week. Lines according to FanDuel Sportsbook (O/U = over/under). Record last week 10-5 (.667); season 66-41 (.617). Using point spreads with the scores Farmer predicted, the record against the spread last week would have been 10-5 (.667); season 59-47-1 (.557). Times Pacific. TV channels are Los Angeles local.
VIKINGS (5-1) AT RAMS (2-4)
Tonight, 5:15. TV: Channel 11, Prime Video
Line: Vikings by 3. O/U: 48½.
The Rams are playing well on defense and they’re getting Cooper Kupp back. What’s more, the Vikings are crossing two time zones on a short week. Still, Minnesota has more firepower and should have the edge.
Pick: Vikings 27, Rams 23
Puka Nacua eligible to play for Rams vs. Vikings
Cooper Kupp isn’t the only Rams star receiver who could play Thursday night against the Minnesota Vikings.
Puka Nacua, who has been sidelined for five games because of a knee injury, was activated from injured reserve about four hours before kickoff, making him eligible to play against a Vikings team that has lost only one game.
Nacua suffered a knee injury during training camp, and he aggravated the injury during the season-opening defeat by the Detroit Lions.
On Monday, the Rams opened Nacua’s 21-day window to return. The Rams conducted jogthroughs, not practices, in the days leading up to Thursday night’s game. Nacua had been listed as limited in the workouts and questionable to play against the Vikings.
Kupp suffered an ankle injury during a Week 2 rout by the Arizona Cardinals. He practiced last week but did not play last Sunday in the Rams’ victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Linebacker Troy Reeder was placed on injured reserve because of a hamstring injury suffered against the Raiders.
Rams vs. Minnesota Vikings: How to watch, prediction and betting odds
The Rams emerged from their off week to defeat the struggling Las Vegas Raiders last Sunday, gaining momentum for their Thursday matchup against the Vikings, one of the top teams so far.
Receiver Cooper Kupp returns to action after sitting out four games because of an ankle injury, which could provide the Rams’ offense a much-needed jolt.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford absorbed 10 hits against the Raiders, the second time in as many games he persevered through double-digit blows. Stafford said he was feeling good but is no doubt bracing for another onslaught from a defense coordinated by Brian Flores.
The Rams’ defense, led by cornerback Cobie Durant, forced four turnovers against the Raiders, a performance that it must come close to duplicating against a Vikings team coached by Sean McVay protegé Kevin O’Connell. Quarterback Sam Darnold is enjoying a career rebirth in an offense that includes star receiver Justin Jefferson.