Cooper Kupp has been a steady contributor as a third-round rookie, catching 38 passes for 481 yards and three touchdowns – all of which are second on the team. He’s exceeded every expectation with the Rams this season despite major hype surrounding him in camp and the offseason, proving to be a valuable pick.

Although his numbers are solid and he’s outplaying every rookie receiver not named JuJu Smith-Schuster, he has had his pitfalls. His first came against the Seahawks when he dropped a potential game-winning touchdown pass in the end zone, though it was a difficult catch to make.

On Sunday, he had a few more gaffes. After making a nice grab in the red zone, Kupp fumbled the ball at the 1-yard line. The Vikings recovered and the Rams wouldn’t score another point for the rest of the game.

“Just caught the ball right over the middle there,” Kupp said. “I thought I’d turn up and poke my head in. He just made a great play on it. Raked over the ball and it came out and he was able to recover it. I’ve just got to do a better job securing the ball.”

Later in the game, Kupp had a third-down pass go off his hands, similarly to the way it did against the Seahawks. It would have gone for a first down and a big gain, putting the Rams in field goal position.

Based on those two plays alone, you could say Kupp almost cost the Rams 10 points. It’s unfair to put all the blame on him considering the struggles L.A. had in defensively in the second half, but he was certainly responsible for quite a few points on Sunday.

“It’s tough,” he added. “Obviously, there are plays I want back, plays I wish I would’ve made. I think we’re a better team than what we showed out there. I think I’m a better player than what I showed out there.”

Kupp did catch six passes (seven targets) for 64 yards, but he should’ve added a touchdown to that stat line. He’s showed the ability and resiliency to bounce back after rough games in the past, and fans should expect nothing less on Sunday against the Saints.