Cooper Kupp: "There Was Great Execution Across The Board"

SPEAKER_1 (0:02)

You guys have been struggling on third down for a good chunk of the season. To see you guys go out and go 11-3, first 15, converting tonight, and a lot of those being longer situations. What were you seeing working so well for you guys in those situations?

Cooper Kupp (0:16)

Yeah, I think we distributed the field well. I think Sam did a great job getting through progressions, and taking advantage of the looks that the defense was giving us, guys just playing fast, decisive football, and some of those conversions are Sam's fifth read, getting them and getting the ball in one of the playmaker's hands, and letting them go use their legs to get the first down. So great execution across the board there with that, and facilities means plenty of stuff to grow from, and we'll watch the film and make the adjustments.

But that's what we expect. That's how we expect to play this game, and there's a good foundation, but certainly a lot to build on too.

SPEAKER_3 (0:54)

Overall, this team have lost two games in a row since before you were here. What was a win like this? Not just a good win, but to play three phases like you did.

Cooper Kupp (1:03)

What was it like for you guys? Yeah, I think that's the thing, I think, more than anything else, is just, regardless of what happened before, is about going out there and playing Seahawks football. We've been talking about it and talking about it, and putting in so much work to see it not happen has been tough, but we just continue to just be at the grindstone, coming to work each day with an expectation and an intention to get better, and it was great to see that materialized finally, where you are seeing complementary football and guys playing off of each other.

SPEAKER_4 (1:39)

Cooper, you know what it's like to be the focal point of an opposing defense and still be able to shine and have record settings to protect the season, to see what Jaxon is doing right now over 200 yards from running, but he also in the league in the season, he's kind of putting together. What do you say about it?

Cooper Kupp (1:53)

Man, he's just playing one play at a time, and he's doing an unbelievable job of it, knowing that there's going to be plays that, you know, it's an uphill battle, and they've got those doubles on them and things like that, and teams are going to continue to find ways to try to take him out of the game, but his ability just to stay engaged in it, stay engaged in one play after the next, and when that opportunity comes, just continue to play high-level football. It's really hard to do, you know. It truly is a really hard thing to do, to stay engaged to a whole game when a defense is trying to take you away, but he's done an unbelievable job of that, and making the plays when the ball comes his way, and doing some pretty cool stuff with it.

SPEAKER_3 (2:33)

What do you have to not do, or guard against when that happens?

Cooper Kupp (2:37)

Well, I think it's the complacency, right? It's like, well, they're going to take me away, and you start to kind of, you take a step back, and you just say, well, they're taking me out of the game, and it's hard to get into a rhythm sometimes that way. And the other side of it is you start pushing, you start feeling like you have to play outside of what the offense is, and he's done an unbelievable job of staying engaged, and exactly executing his job, and knowing that Sam's going to do a great job of going through his progressions. And if you're in the right place at the right time, creating separation, Sam will eat the ball.

SPEAKER_3 (3:07)

I think we ask you this all the time, but there had obviously been some criticism of Sam the last couple of weeks, and just everybody kind of just says he stayed the same, and got the same preparation as all that. That's just sort of what you saw a bit of today.

Cooper Kupp (3:17)

Yeah. He did an unbelievable job out there. His command, his ability to get plays in and out, just as command of the huddle at the line of scrimmage, getting things fixed, getting guys organized. And then obviously, playing decisive. All those third downs that you guys have talked about. He's really clicking through his progressions and going through it one at a time, and playing in rhythm with his feet and his eyes all in one. And it's really good. It's really cool to see. That's who he is. That's what we expect from him.