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For Week 14, the Buffalo Bills will have to contend with a Los Angeles Rams offense that leverages well-rounded, if not always elite football. That said, LA gets things done in the passing game with quarterback Matthew Stafford thanks to his having seen every type of defense possible.
But it’s not just Stafford who makes things click through the air. It’s possible that the Rams have one of the more underrated wide receiver tandems in the NFL in Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp.
Through 12 games, Kupp has totaled 58 receptions, 565 yards, and five touchdowns while Nacua has 42 receptions for 546 yards and two touchdowns. Let’s look at the film and see how the Rams utilize the veteran Kupp and emerging Nacua.
Play 1: Cooper Kupp plays physical
Copper Kupp lined up in the slot to the left side for this play. At the snap Kupp ran right in motion. Nacua then down-blocked the EDGE. Kupp leaked out and was uncovered. Matthew Stafford threw to an open Kupp, who then lowered his shoulder on a defender to get extra yards.
Play 2: Puka Nacua doing dirty work as a run blocker
One of the many great attributes of the 6’2” Nacua is his ability to play the fullback role for the Rams. Here, pre-snap we see Nacua right next to the offensive tackle. At the snap, he ran left and stopped in the middle of the line. He then turned forward and ran straight as a lead blocker. Nacua was able to get a piece of the safety as he blocked, which allowed the offense to get extra yards.
Play 3: Puka Nacua beats zone coverage
Here we see Puka’s savviness as a wideout. The New England Patriots were in zone with the corner playing off of Nacua while he was on the right side of the field. When the ball snapped, Nacua ran by the corner and found the soft spot in the zone where he caught the pass.
Play 4: Cooper Kupp has reliable hands
One of the biggest battles the Bills will face against the Rams is Nacua and Kupp versus safeties, Damar Hamlin and Taylor Rapp. In the play above, Kupp got behind the defense as he ran his route. Once Stafford threw to an open Kupp, he was blasted by the safety. Kupp managed to hold onto the ball and get the first down despite the hard hit.
The Fast Lane
The Buffalo Bills have a top-10 pass defense that’s made things difficult on opposing offenses all season. That said, it will be interesting to see how Buffalo’s secondary holds up against the receiving duo of Kupp and Nacua.
The Rams present a real challenge for defensive coordinator Bobby Babich because they do a lot of different things well. Can the Bills slow downs LA’s receivers, and how you see this matchup playing out?