Saved By The Cooper Kupp Slide?
November 8th, 2022
Many Rams fans haven’t slept in days. They think their team was just one ill-timed slide from victory Sunday against the Bucs.
And they may be right.
The video is below. A screen shot is above.
On 2nd-and-10 late in the game deep on the Rams-6 yard line, Los Angeles handed off to Cooper Kupp on a sweep to the right side. Rather than fight for a first down and take the lane he had to work with after turning the corner, Kupp decided to take an early slide to stay inbounds. The Bucs called their second timeout and the Rams faced 3rd-and-5 with 1:40 remaining.
Los Angeles then got crazy conservative and ran up the middle, which led to a punt that helped set up the Bucs’ winning score.
So Kupp, a Pro Bowl player and one of the toughest tackles in the NFL, passed on fighting for what might have been a winning first down — or a shot at a 3rd-and-short opportunity. He had a blocker and a lane.
The Los Angeles media was all over Kupp and Rams fans have been melting down.
“You’re in that moment when you gotta make a decision,” Kupp said. “Do you guarantee yourself the first down and potentially stop the clock or put your foot in the ground and cut back inwards? Where do you wanna draw the line? It happens quick.”
Bucs fans can judge in the video below.
It’s wild to think Kupp may have saved the jobs of multiple Bucs coaches, and it’s also a little disturbing to think of how close the Bucs were to losing. Kudos to Anthony Nelson’s hard work on the play to make life just a shade tougher – and wider — for Kupp.
Kupp doesn't get the first if he continues up the sideline, but if he cuts back inside?
I dunno, maybe? pic.twitter.com/RXIjPwcbla
— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) November 7, 2022
November 8th, 2022 at 9:35 am
I suspect the extremely hard tackles Kupp received at the sideline earlier in the game from Devin White and company may have had a residual effect on his decision making as well. BTW the blocker is out of the play and Kupp was going to get creamed short of the line to gain and go out of bounds, stopping the clock.
November 8th, 2022 at 9:37 am
Nelson legit took away the cut back and pushed the edge Kupp had to get around in order to get up field, those are the types of plays that do nothing for the stat sheet, but speaks to how important it is to stay disciplined as an OLB in this system and keeping containment.
November 8th, 2022 at 9:45 am
I blame gambling.
November 8th, 2022 at 9:46 am
Kupp is healthy, and one of the best players in the League. The Rams won the SB last year. In the not-so-distant past, teams that won the SB stunk the following season. It’s called ‘SB Hangover.’ That’s what ails the Rams. Now, the Bucs went against the grain. 2020: historic SB win in their own crib (1st team to do it). 2021: 13-4 Division Champs. So, what’s with all the yowling and hysteria on here? It’s good for a laugh, that’s for sure (as well as $$clicks$$.)
November 8th, 2022 at 9:49 am
Buccaneer Bonzai Says:
November 8th, 2022 at 9:45 am
I blame gambling.
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I hear ya, BB. But, Ed Hochuli was the head zeb leading the crew Sunday. You know what he thinks of the Bucs.
November 8th, 2022 at 9:50 am
I kinda get it. We hadn’t done anything all game, did anyone think we’d suddenly drive downfield and score. They bet on their defense and lost, it’s about time it happened to someone else lol
November 8th, 2022 at 9:51 am
If he doesn’t slide, I think he is forced out of bounds short of the sticks. Clock stopped with maybe a 3rd and 2. Would that have been better? Maybe. But Rams fans should give Kupp a pass. I do not believe for one minute he slid to avoid contact.
November 8th, 2022 at 9:53 am
No doubt about it, he should have gone for the 1st down.
November 8th, 2022 at 9:57 am
When it looked like we were going to lose this game, before our last minute comeback, Todd Bowles was making some very ugly and downright Creepy faces.
I had quite a few people over for the game, and some of them picked up on this too.
AS far as Cooper Kupp saving coaches, I hope everyone is aware the we signed Bowles to a 5 year contract!
The Glazers have never ever fired a head coach during the season, despite pressure to do so with some past coaches.
I can remember Billboards going up all over Tampa, calling for past coaches to be fired, and the Glazers always waited until the season was over.
Jason Licht did not have to approve Bowles as head coach, yet he did.
People need to remember that.
November 8th, 2022 at 10:01 am
Pewter Power Says:
November 8th, 2022 at 9:50 am
I kinda get it. We hadn’t done anything all game, did anyone think we’d suddenly drive downfield and score. They bet on their defense and lost, it’s about time it happened to someone else lol
Exactly…..stay in bounds….eat the clock and let the defense stop the impotent Buc offense……works every time….except for Sunday.
November 8th, 2022 at 10:11 am
Happy we won but let’s be honest this team looked like hot garbage except for that final minute. I still think this team is in trouble and if we don’t win this weak division with the talent on this roster then the coaching staff needs to be fired 5 year contract or not. No one wants to sit through another season of this garbage.
November 8th, 2022 at 10:22 am
If the Rams woulda won, Kupp would be hailed as a Football Genius.
Tweeter would have exploded, lol
November 8th, 2022 at 10:30 am
yes…
but let’s talk about mike evans ribs…
how are his ribs doing ???
November 8th, 2022 at 10:33 am
as arthur fonzerelli and pinky tuskadero might say, they tried to give him the malachi crunch
November 8th, 2022 at 10:35 am
This was not a bad decision.
November 8th, 2022 at 10:39 am
i think we were about as close to losing this game as the falcons game…
if not for the late brady heroics, we could be in a 7 game slide, or 7 game losing streak…
i know that sounds a little crazy, but we won this game and the atlanta game, each by a single wild nose hair
(as mike krukow might say)
November 8th, 2022 at 10:40 am
If miller catches the pass in the end zone they’re trying to come behind there. If Nelson is just slightly faster kupp is possibly tackled at the 2 yard line. Lots of variables
November 8th, 2022 at 10:40 am
I thought at the time he was really stupid to slide there, but I believe he thought he’d get knocked out of bounds – but he might have got the first down and it wouldn’t have mattered.
But it would have been close.
November 8th, 2022 at 10:52 am
Sorry Joe idk why you keep beating this drum. No way he gets the first even if he fights for it. You must have had to much to drink there bud. 4 Buc plays around him and he only has 1 blocker. Put the drinks down
November 8th, 2022 at 10:56 am
My vision is always 20/20, in hindsight. No reading glasses needed.
November 8th, 2022 at 10:57 am
Chris, what’s the half life on mentioning the creepy coach face thing?! You’ve mentioned this in numerous posts over the past two days. We get it. Is it really a big deal? As for the OP, I was at the stadium and watched it in real time on the big screen since it was not that close to where I sit. At the time seemed like exactly what he should have done. Seeing the clips, it was obviously closer than I had thought. Third and five was much different than 3rd and two.
November 8th, 2022 at 11:00 am
And if Scotty doesn’t drop a TD catch at 2 mins, the Rams would have been driving for a FG. We can play the if game all day long. I think he would have been pushed out of bounds short of the marker anyway.
November 8th, 2022 at 11:02 am
Looks to me like he’d have been pushed out of bounds with only a couple additional yards. Would have been 3rd and four, Bucs’d have stopped the Rams, and Brady would have had 40 seconds more time to work with.
November 8th, 2022 at 11:06 am
orlbucfan Says:
November 8th, 2022 at 9:49 am
Buccaneer Bonzai Says:
November 8th, 2022 at 9:45 am
I blame gambling.
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I hear ya, BB. But, Ed Hochuli was the head zeb leading the crew Sunday. You know what he thinks of the Bucs.
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That wasn’t Ed Hochuli. That was his son, Shawn Hochuli. Ed retired in 2017.
November 8th, 2022 at 11:08 am
I dunno- I don’t think he would have gotten there by cutting inside.
Maybe if he kept going up the sideline, but then the clock would have stopped automatically.
November 8th, 2022 at 11:14 am
LOL Live by the Cupp Die by the Cupp
November 8th, 2022 at 11:15 am
All I’m CERTAIN of is Nelson did an outstanding job on that play!
And, I’m also curious as to how Evans’ ribs are doing???? I saw him getting his ribs taped up and then later saw him back in the game.
After Gronk’s punctured lung last year, inquiring fans wanna know.
November 8th, 2022 at 11:17 am
Im nit really seeing it. If he tried to cut inside Dean makes the tackle. If he kept going Neal blasts him out of bounds and it stops the clock. 18 cant do anything but be in the way. If he tries to block Neal its a penalty for block in the back. Kupp read it and fave up to make the Bucs use a TO. Only thing I question is why slide and just nit dive forward.
November 8th, 2022 at 11:30 am
2 things that stood out to be was D White not appearing to run full steam and #18 for the Rams essentially taking out 3 of our players…C Davis was caught in the wash bigtime.
November 8th, 2022 at 12:12 pm
Yes Joes….like D-Rok said we need an Evans rib/ribs update…
November 8th, 2022 at 12:32 pm
I think he thought we had no timeouts left when he slid, not that he’d ever admit that.
November 8th, 2022 at 1:19 pm
I think cupp did the right thing. I guess he could’ve dove ahead inbounds. I don’t have a problem with the last two Rams plays either. If they just play the sidelines, Brady probably runs out of time. That was horrible defensive strategy by the Rams. Those two out routes by Miller, nobody was within 5 yards of him. They played like the bucs had timeouts left.
November 8th, 2022 at 2:00 pm
Realistic Rams coaches are saying it doesn’t come to that if they make plays beforehand. Kupp didn’t lose that game. The Rams did. Luckily the Bucs made enough plays to win. They made just enough of the plays that were available to them. Isn’t that the goal? They didn’t miss the chance presented.
That’s been our problem. Leaving so many plays on the field that you don’t have a chance at the end. Go Bucs!
November 8th, 2022 at 2:09 pm
Notice on that Video #45 loafing to the tackle, again!!! What if Cupp did cut back……
November 8th, 2022 at 3:32 pm
This is dumb if alot different things would have happened the rams would have won hindsight commentary is just dumb they lost take the l and move on.
November 8th, 2022 at 4:25 pm
That’s a big IF! IF Kupp cut back in… If the WRs didn’t have 6 drops including Miller’s moments before this…IF IF IF
November 8th, 2022 at 5:41 pm
It doesn’t even matter. Anything that makes Kupp and the Rams look bad and second guess themselves, any damage is welcome. F the Rams. Never forget or get over that playoff game. Never.
November 9th, 2022 at 9:23 am
Watched the vid many times….Kupp MIGHT have gotten 2 more yards (and get double-blasted out of bounds). I don’t believe it was the game changer Joe says.
November 9th, 2022 at 9:39 am
DUDE! Am I the only one that saw Anythony Nelson get completely wiped out FROM BEHIND right where Kupp turned the corner? I have seen some really, really bad officiating this year. So many holds, so many blocks in the back not called.
November 9th, 2022 at 9:41 am
AND DEVIN WHITE IS JOGGING TO THE PLAY, AGAIN!!!!
November 9th, 2022 at 10:14 am
NFL is rigged