Rams vs. Cardinals Notebook: LA Gashed By Arizona WRs, Cooper Kupp Lost to Injury
The Los Angeles Rams aren't technically eliminated from the postseason.
But after another brutal offensive showing even without quarterback Matthew Stafford in action, the Rams appear all out of hope after a 27-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.
However, Stafford's absence was quickly overshadowed by a late injury to receiver Cooper Kupp, who exited the game in the fourth quarter as the Rams were trying to stage a comeback.
Still, with or without two of their franchise players on offense, the Rams likely would've been faced with the same problems that have plagued them all season.
Let's look at three takeaways from the loss.
Cooper Kupp finally silenced, exits with injury
Matthew Stafford's absence wasn't expected to negatively impact Kupp's performance to a high degree. But with Arizona showing little desire to have the defending Super Bowl MVP decimate its secondary, Kupp was nonexistent from the LA offense.
Even before his injury, Kupp had done nothing, totaling just three catches for -1 yard on five targets.
With Wolford at quarterback, McVay stayed conservative. Most of the targets toward Kupp were short passes aimed at potentially using the star receiver's lethal run-after-catch ability as a source of production.
Kupp is obviously the most important player for the franchise, as he currently leads the team in catches (72) receiving yards (813), and receiving touchdowns (six). He now faces a potential absence, though nothing is certain yet. Without him, the Rams will be in even deeper trouble as if things weren't already bad.
Cardinals WRs burn LA's secondary
With or without quarterback Kyler Murray, the Cardinals were already loaded with talent at receiver.
And even with Colt McCoy getting the start, star-studded veteran DeAndre Hopkins and second-year speedster Rondale Moore dominated the Rams' secondary. The duo essentially traded off chunk plays throughout the game, as McCoy was adamant about getting the ball out quickly to avoid the LA pass rush.
Combined, Hopkins and Moore commanded a whopping 27 of the 35 possible targets for the Cardinals. Hopkins finished with a game-high 10 catches for 98 yards. Despite another impressive performance, it still felt like an average day for a guy who could easily reside in Canton one day.
But with ample attention still on Hopkins, Moore was targeted 13 times for nine catches and 94 yards. His stat line was similar, but he arguably outplayed Hopkins due to come contested catches in traffic while serving as a security blanket in the short game for McCoy.
But it was Moore's impressive one-handed catch on the sideline in the fourth quarter that essentially helped ice the game before running back James Connor found the end zone.
Allen Robinson II solid, WR1 role looms
Robinson II finished with four catches for 44 yards as one of the few bright spots during another brutal offensive showing for LA.
Tight end Tyler Higbee led the team in receiving, but Robinson II's solid day became much more notable once it was obvious that Kupp suffered an injury worthy of some concern. Three of his catches went for first downs as he managed to find openings in the secondary to help get Wolford in somewhat of a downfield rhythm,
It's too soon to determine the timeline or exact severity of Kupp's injury, but it's not farfetched to think that he could be absent for LA next week against the New Orleans Saints. Robinson II would be the no-doubt leader in receiving room without him. And despite what has been a below-average year for the veteran receiver, expect a major workload moving forward if Kupp is forced to miss time.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
Want to see the Champs? Get your L.A. RAMS game tickets from SI Tickets here!
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Rams? Click Here
Want to join in on the discussion? Click here to become a member of the Ram Digest message board community today!
