There's a reason Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp are one of the best quarterback-receiver tandems in the NFL on Sunday was another example that supported this claim.
It's not that Kupp is the fastest receiver in the NFL or that Stafford is the most accurate. They've had so much success over the last three-plus years because they're always on the same page, whether it's before the snap or in the middle of the game.
That was the case with their long touchdown against the Patriots. When Kupp saw that the Patriots were running Cover 0, he adjusted his seam route to break more inside and give his quarterback a clearer throwing path, knowing the ball needed to come out quickly.
STAFFORD TO KUPP.
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Kupp explained what happened on the play and told reporters the importance of being on the same page with his quarterback.
“They had Jones about 8 yards out and Dugger in and I thought they were going to get kind of a 220 Tampa safety look and be able to get out there when he was that far away,” Kupp explained after the game. “And in the blink of an eye, Dugger just disappeared and what I thought was a Tampa 2 ended up as a soft zero and it just goes back to the really old rules we used to have of running seam routes towards zero and speeding the thing up stood up and ripped in there and Matthew was just ready to leave. We haven't talked about this in a long time, but when you're on the same page with him, being able to do that and make plays where you have little leeway is huge. Matthew gets hit and releases the ball, trusting that I’ll be where I’m supposed to be, and I’m so glad we were able to bring that ball to life.”
Stafford echoed Kupp's thoughts after the game, saying he saw exactly what his receiver did after the snap, which worked perfectly.
“I just haven’t had many opportunities to play a game like that against zero pressure,” he said. “I’m just glad he was on the same page as me and did a good job at the helm.”
Sean McVay has watched Stafford and Kupp work together for years, and he probably never gets tired of watching them make plays like Sunday's 69-yarder. He confirmed that Kupp had made the right play to water down his route a bit at the top, and Stafford hit him brilliantly for an easy touchdown.
“He read it right,” McVay said. “That was the desired fit for that specific route and that coverage contour. He and Matthew agreed. It was a 69-yard touchdown. We like these pieces.”