Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images. Pictured: Los Angeles Rans wide receiver Cooper Kupp.
The Los Angeles Rams know who their quarterback will be Saturday, but whether or not their top receiver will play is another story.
After injuring his knee late in the Wild Card round win over Seattle, wide receiver Cooper Kupp did not practice this week. The Rams’ standout has been officially listed as questionable entering the game against Green Bay.
Kupp did not play in the Week 17 win over the Cardinals due to a knee injury, but returned in last week’s to make four receptions for 78 yards.
If he’s unable to play or hampered by the injury, it’ll be a big loss for quarterback Jared Goff and the Los Angeles offense. Goff was named starter when John Wolford was officially ruled out. However, Goff didn’t inspire a lot of confidence with his health and play in the victory over the Seahawks.
Goff was clearly bothered by his injured thumb, completing 9 of 19 passes for 155 yards. However, it didn’t matter against a Seattle offense that couldn’t move the ball against the Los Angeles defense. As good as the defense is, though, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers will be a much tougher test.
Kupp was Goff’s favorite receiver, leading the team in both catches and yards. He wound up just slightly ahead of Robert Woods. In Week 17 without Kupp — or Goff — Woods caught four passes for 36 yards.
According to Sean Koerner, our Director of Predictive Analytics, Kupp is the Rams’ fourth-most valuable non-quarterback option. Koerner makes Kupp worth 0.58 points to the spread, just behind Woods at 0.60.
With Woods facing a significant downgrade due to his matchup with cornerback Jaire Alexander, a healthy Kupp becomes even more important.