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Moments earlier, Kupp had been named MVP of Super Bowl LVI. He
caught eight passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns, including
the go-ahead score late in the fourth quarter, as the Rams
rallied for a 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals to win their
first title in Los Angeles.
It marked the best moment of an early but already exhilarating
career for Kupp, 28, who entered the league in 2017 as a
relatively anonymous wideout from Eastern Washington.
"I don't feel deserving of this," Kupp said. "God is just so
good."
Kupp shined throughout the season, finishing with a career-high
145 catches for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns. He led the league
in all three categories, earning him the fourth-ever receiving
"triple crown." He averaged 13.4 yards per catch, 114.5 yards
per game and converted a whopping 89 first downs in 17 games.
As the Super Bowl started, however, it appeared that Odell
Beckham Jr. would take center stage as the Rams' top receiver.
He quickly amassed two catches for 52 yards and a touchdown and
seemed to be headed for a big performance against the Bengals'
secondary.
A knee injury to Beckham in the second quarter thinned out the
Rams receiving corps -- and prompted Los Angeles to turn more
toward Kupp, even though the Bengals paid close attention to him
throughout the contest.
That was never more evident than the Rams' final drive, when
Kupp hauled in four passes for 39 yards and a touchdown despite
tight coverage.
"I'm just so thankful for everyone that's been in my life,
that's pushed me, that's encouraged me every step of the way,"
Kupp said. "These guys that are standing out here, they
challenged me, they pushed me, they made it so much fun to come
to work every day."
Kupp set an NFL record for the most catches during a single
postseason with 33. He also joined Larry Fitzgerald in 2008 as
the only wideouts to catch a touchdown pass in four games during
the same postseason.
--Field Level Media
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