One Veteran Could Have Sneaky Great Performance in Seahawks vs. Rams III

The NFC Championship between the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams is a chance for any star or role player to shine. For the Seahawks, there is plenty of opportunity for a player on the top-ranked scoring defense, one of the hottest performing postseason players in running back Kenneth Walker III, or the league's leading receiver in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, to take the game and have a standout performance.

One Seahawk who could be one of the most underrated players of the night, wide receiver Cooper Kupp, could also have a revenge. Kupp had one of the most explosive seasons of all time and helped the Rams win Super Bowl LVI. He was named MVP of the Super Bowl by catching eight receptions for 92 yards and two touchdowns.

Kupp hasn't been the same player since that major performance. He gets a chance to be a key reason why the Seahawks potentially go to Super Bowl LV on Sunday.

While the Rams will be so focused on JSN and stopping the run, they won't be as attentive to covering other pass-catchers like Kupp. Their defense has been good in the last two playoff games, but not great. The Rams have allowed 521 passing yards and three touchdowns in the Wild Card Round and Divisional Round wins. Finally, the Rams have allowed Carolina's Bryce Young and Chicago's Caleb Williams to account for a QBR of 72.

Kupp is due for a bounce-back game against his former team. In the Seahawks' 21-19 Week 11 road loss, he caught only three receptions out of seven targets for 27 yards.

Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp running after the catch in the Week 13 win over the Atlanta Falcons. — Dec 7, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) runs after a catch against the Atlanta Falcons in the third quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

He almost had a much-better performance in the 38-37 overtime home win in Week 16 as he caught three receptions on four targets for 39 yards. Kupp was able to score a touchdown shortly before halftime, but he was stripped of the ball just before crossing the goal line, thus ruining any chance of a big play.

He will get one more chance to get real revenge against his team by being a big-play receiver for their rival team. Kupp has to remain vigilant, ready, and mistake-free if given the chance. The plus side is that he has developed a solid momentum from the Seahawks' 41-6 dominant win over the San Francisco 49ers.

Against the 49ers, Kupp caught five receptions for 60 yards. He was a solid, versatile weapon in the short-to-mid-range passing game for quarterback Sam Darnold. He could be a great weapon again on Sunday if JSN is locked up and they need a quick go-to target.

Kupp isn't the explosive player he was with the Rams in Super LVI, but he could be the efficient weapon for the Seahawks to get to Super Bowl LX.

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