Heading into the final week of the regular season, Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp is on the verge of making NFL history. The 28-year-old superstar is 11 catches away from tying Michael Thomas' record 149-reception campaign in 2019, and also 135 yards shy of tying Calvin Johnson's single-season record of 1,964, set in 2012.
If Kupp breaks both otherworldly records in the Rams' game against the rival San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, he'll most likely capture the NFL's esteemed triple crown, given to a receiver who finishes the season with more catches, yards, and touchdowns than anyone else. In the Super Bow era (since 1966), only three players have accomplished this feat.
"I think they're well aware of [the records]," Rams reporter Gary Klein told the Maggie and Perloff show on Friday. "The way the 49ers games have played out, unless they get into a situation where they can really do that, I don't see them purposefully going over how many passes they'd throw to him anyway. Because he gets a lot of targets every game. But I think they're all aware of it.
"[Kupp] has been very modest throughout the season, this week. Being very respectful of the guys who hold the records, the fact they set them during a 16-game season. If he gets it, it'll be in a 17-game season. But Sean McVay, Matthew Stafford, Odell Beckham, they all know what's at stake. And I think they're going to give their best shot to help him achieve those."
Calling 2021 a breakout year for Kupp would certainly be an understatement. Through 16 games, he's averaged a whopping 114.3 receiving yards, and his touchdown total (15) happens to be tied for the third-highest mark over the last decade's worth of seasons. In the Rams' first matchup against the 49ers back on Nov. 15, Kupp caught 11 of 13 targets for 122 yards.
Los Angeles (12-4), which owns the NFC's second seed, will kickoff against San Francisco (9-7) at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday. According to FiveThirtyEight, the Rams currently have a 77-percent chance to win the NFC West title and a 9-percent chance to win Super Bowl 56 at SoFi Stadium. As for Kupp, he has the fifth-best odds to win league MVP.
The entire Rams conversation between Klein and Maggie and Perloff can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Maggie and Perloff Show on Twitter @MaggieandPerl and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.