Despite a tough loss in Week 11 to the Los Angeles Rams, the Seattle Seahawks are still in a good spot to make the postseason at 7-3 with a chance to improve on that record with a matchup against the Tennessee Titans in Week 12.
Despite facing an inferior opponent, Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp has struggled to find much space in the secondary. Let’s take a look at Kupp’s slow start.
What Happened to Seattle Seahawks WR Cooper Kupp?
No, Kupp is not hurt; however, he has not been a significant factor for the Seahawks in the first half of their Week 12 matchup against the Titans. Quarterback Sam Darnold has only targeted the veteran wideout once for 12 yards.
Unfortunately for Kupp, this is somewhat of a familiar sight this season. In the nine games he’s played in, Kupp has caught 29 passes for 390 yards and one trip to the end zone. In his first game against his former franchise, the Rams, he was held to three receptions on seven targets for 23 yards.
The Seahawks have gotten out to a solid start with a 16-3 lead through two quarters. They’ve also been one of the better offenses in the league under Darnold’s direction, ranking as the sixth-best team in the NFL according to PFSN’s Offense Impact metric, with a score of 84.1.
However, that score is more due to contributions from fellow wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, as opposed to Kupp. Kupp ranks 39th overall in PFSN’s WR Impact with a score of 75.9 this season. That pales in comparison to Smith-Njigba’s league-leading 97.7 as he continues to build upon his monstrous season.
Smith-Njigba is only going to build on that score as he is putting together another masterpiece against the Titans. He’s caught six passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns on eight targets. While Kupp’s presence isn’t being felt, it doesn’t need to be when Smith-Njigba is having a day like this.
A win today is important for Seattle, especially after the loss to the Rams a week ago. They are still one of the NFC’s best squads, but unless the Rams can lose a couple of games, their path through the postseason will come from a Wild Card berth. The defense has been incredible, ranking fifth in the league according to PFSN’s Defense Impact metric.
While outings like the loss to Los Angeles can cast some doubts about Darnold’s long-term prospects, he’s seemed to bounce back from the poor performance well. Let’s see if the Seahawks can keep the offense on track for the rest of the season.
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.Â
