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    • Rumors of a Cooper Kupp trade should calm down after the Rams win
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    Rumors of a Cooper Kupp trade should calm down after the Rams win

    Kathleen William Posted on

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    INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Maybe we shouldn't write off Cooper Kupp and the Los Angeles Rams.

    Sometimes victory heals and provides clarity. The Rams could experience just that after defeating the Minnesota Vikings 30-20, picking up their second straight win and improving to 3-4 on the season.

    “I believe in this group. I believe in the coaches. I believe in the players. I saw determination. “I didn’t bat an eyelid,” Rams coach Sean McVay said.

    “We still have a long way to go. We won two games in five days, but it's only two and we did a good job of getting back to where we wanted to be. I'm excited about it.” “We've learned a lot about people in the first seven weeks,” McVay added. “We've had to go through a lot of different things with new faces playing that we maybe didn't expect. And then it's great to bring back some of the cavalry. I think we'll see that soon. “In the next few weeks we need to be able to hit the ground running.”

    The Rams are almost out of an early 1-4 hole and are getting healthier at the right time. Kupp and Puka Nacua returned from their injuries on Thursday evening. Plus, more help could be on the way as offensive linemen Steve Avila, Jonah Jackson and defensive back John Johnson are on track to return.

    But it is Kupp and Nacua who can make the Rams a contender for the NFC. The two wide receivers combined for 12 catches, 157 yards and a touchdown on 17 targets in the win.

    “These guys bring a lot of energy and a lot of confidence to our team. It's not just the offense. I know the defense feels it too when those guys are out there playing and playing,” Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “These guys come out and compete. I'm proud of that, man. Just coming out and showing up for our football team (and) competing, that’s a great thing.”

    Kupp has been caught up in trade rumors as the NFL's Nov. 5 trade deadline approaches. But Thursday's win should quiet the noise. The Rams should hold on to the 2021 NFL Offensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl 56 MVP.

    The NFC West is wide open. The reigning NFC champion San Francisco 49ers are struggling with a variety of injuries, the Arizona Cardinals are up and down and the division-leading Seattle Seahawks are just one game ahead of Los Angeles in the loss list. The Rams and Seahawks meet next week in Seattle.

    “I’m not thinking about it,” Kupp said after the game when asked if his name would be mentioned in trade scenarios. “It is what it is. There's all that stuff out there. … Everything that happens outside the facility. But you know, in a short week, every minute is spent preparing and getting ready to come here and play.

    “It gave me the opportunity to focus and be where my feet are. I was able to prepare as best as possible. And come out here and let it rip. All that stuff is what it is.”

    Two games on Thursday defined why Kupp should stay in Los Angeles.

    The first play came in the second quarter when Stafford scrambled, made an elusive move to evade two Vikings defenders and found Kupp in the back of the end zone for a touchdown.

    The second play came with less than four minutes left in the fourth quarter when Kupp made a game-winning 27-yard catch on third-and-9 that helped the Rams run out the clock.

    Kupp finished the game with five catches, 51 yards and a touchdown. The eighth-year veteran now has 590 career catches and 7,264 receiving yards, which is fourth all-time in Rams franchise history.

    The 31-year-old wideout is just four receptions away from passing Henry Ellard and moving into third place all-time on the Rams' career receptions list. He will undoubtedly be able to get there if he stays healthy – and stays with the Rams.

    McVay gave the latter a rousing vote of confidence.

    “I think a lot of the things that were out there were speculation,” McVay said. “We are an inside-out organization. I’m really happy to have Cooper Kupp back with us and I expect it to stay that way.”

    Follow USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

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    Kathleen William
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