First, let me say that I am not defending the Rams' strategy last year. This is just my interpretation of what the Rams were doing and should not be seen as an endorsement.
So here goes.
Kupp did not return punts last year. Yes, I know we all saw him back there when the other team was punting, but he was only in there when the result of the punt was either going to be a fair catch or it was going in the end zone.
Kupp was never in the game in punt return formation when there was a possibility of a run back.
Why did the Rams do that? I can only speculate, but my guess is that the 'punt returner' in that situation has to determine in just a few seconds if the ball is going to go in the end zone or not, and if it isn't then he has to call the fair catch and actually catch the ball.
Now, I'm not saying that Kupp is the best guy on the team to handle that mental and physical workload. But apparently that's what the Rams thought.
Disclaimer: if you look it up you will see that Kupp actually did have one punt return last year. It was a typical Kupp return that should have either been a fair catch or gone in the end zone. However, this was a bad punt that landed several yards in front of Kupp and bounced right up into his arms. He fielded the ball, took about three steps, and stepped out of bounds untouched.
AlbaNY_Ram
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/15/2024 09:37AM by AlbaNY_Ram.
