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          NFL Nation

          Jared Goff's security blanket: Rams receiver Cooper Kupp

          • Lindsey Thiry, ESPNSep 24, 2019, 10:00 AM
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              Lindsey Thiry is a national NFL reporter for ESPN. She joined ESPN in 2018 to cover the Los Angeles Rams after two years of covering them for the Los Angeles Times, and has also covered the Chargers for ESPN. She previously covered the Atlanta Falcons. You can follow her on Twitter/X @LindseyThiry.

          CLEVELAND -- Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff has searched for the words to describe his relationship with receiver Cooper Kupp.

          Goff has suggested the two are intuitively connected. He has also pondered if they're telepathic.

          On Sunday night, as the Rams outlasted the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium, it appeared both could be true.

          Kupp caught a career-high 11 passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns in the 20-13 victory to become the first Rams receiver to accomplish such a feat since Torry Holt in Week 6 of the 2003 season.

          "He showed up," said Goff, who completed 24 of 38 passes for 269 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. "He did a good job. He just continues to get himself open and he finds ways to be on the same page as me."

          Through three games, the Rams' offense has struggled to establish a rhythm in the first half. Twice this season, including Sunday against the Browns, they have been held without a first-half touchdown.

          Last week, in a victory over New Orleans, Goff turned to Kupp, a third-round pick from Eastern Washington, to provide a spark. Kupp caught five passes for 120 yards, including a 66-yard catch-and-run where he evaded at least four defenders before he was tackled inches short of the goal line.

          On Sunday, Goff again turned to his third-year receiver, who is 10 months removed from reconstructive knee surgery to fix a torn ACL suffered last season.

          "It's a lot of Jared trusting me to be in the right place at the right time," Kupp said. "As we've experienced, we've gone through getting reps with each other, seeing defenses over and over again, understanding what he expects me to do in every possible situation and then me just being able to get there quickly, efficiently and be able to communicate with my body language as best I can."

          Kupp caught an 11-yard pass for a touchdown in the third quarter to give the Rams a 10-6 lead. Then in the fourth quarter, Kupp caught a 6-yard pass to put them up 17-13.

          "A lot of it was Jared being able to stay alive in the pocket," said Kupp, who is scheduled to earn $811,000 this season. "The O-line did a great job up front and Jared making some great throws in some tight windows. On the touchdowns, I think they were just great playcalls. We got the look that we wanted and were able to execute."

          "They've got a great rapport," Rams coach Sean McVay said. "For Cooper to have 11 catches on 12 targets says as much as you need to know."

          Sunday was Kupp's second career game with multiple touchdown receptions. Last season, he caught two touchdowns against the Minnesota Vikings.

          In three games this season, Kupp has caught 23 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns. Receivers Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods each have 13 receptions for 225 and 143 yards, respectively.