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    • The Cooper Kupp trade rumors should die down after the Rams win
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    The Cooper Kupp trade rumors should die down after the Rams win

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

    Sometimes winning heals and provides clarity. The Rams could experience just that after defeating the Minnesota Vikings 30-20, earning 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 see any pullbacks,” 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 games and we did well to get back to where we wanted to be. I’m excited about this journey that ahead of us. 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 that we might not have expected. And then it’s great to get some of the cavalry back. I think we’ll see that. in the next few weeks, and we should be able to hit the ground running.”

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

    Still, it’s Kupp and Nacua who can make the Rams a contender in 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 about the offense. I know the defense feels that too when those guys are playing out there,” Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “Those guys come out and compete. I’m proud of that, man. Just coming out, standing up for our football team (and) competing, that’s great.”

    Kupp has been embroiled 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 defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers are dealing with a host 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 column. The Rams and Seahawks will face off next week in Seattle.

    “I don’t think about that,” Kupp said afterward when asked about his name being mentioned in trade scenarios. “It is what it is. There’s all those things there. … All those things that happen outside the facility. But you know, in a short week, every minute is spent preparing, getting ready to come here and play.

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

    Two plays Thursday determined why Kupp had to stay in Los Angeles.

    The first play came in the second quarter when Stafford darted around, made an elusive move to avoid 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 hauled in a crucial 27-yard catch on third-and-9, helping the Rams milk the clock.

    Kupp finished with five catches, 51 yards and a touchdown. The eighth-year veteran now has 590 catches and 7,264 receiving yards in his career, numbers that rank fourth all-time in Rams franchise history.

    The 31-year-old wideout is just four receptions away from surpassing Henry Ellard for third all-time on the Rams’ career receptions list. He can undoubtedly get there if he stays healthy – and stays on the Rams.

    McVay delivered a stirring vote of confidence for the latter.

    “I think a lot of the stuff that was there was speculative,” McVay said. “We are an inside-out organization. I am very happy to have Cooper Kupp back with us, and I expect it will remain that way.”

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

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