Cooper Kupp, Matthew Stafford connect on long touchdown pass as Rams build lead

TAMPA — Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and the Los Angeles Rams have taken their regular-season act into the playoffs.

A week after connecting on a touchdown in the Rams’ wild-card win over the Arizona Cardinals, they hooked up for a 70-yard score early in the second quarter of Sunday’s divisional-round game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Stafford got a clean pocket and fired deep to a wide-open Kupp, who had to adjust to a slightly underthrown ball, then made one defender miss and outran another on his way to the end zone. The touchdown, which came on third-and-20, gave the Rams a 17-3 lead.

Stafford threw a 7-yard touchdown to backup tight end Kendall Blanton earlier in the game.

Tom Brady, meanwhile, only completed three of his first 10 attempts.

Kupp became only the fourth player since 1970 to finish the regular season with the most catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, winning the receiving “triple crown.”

70 YARD TOUCHDOWN TO KUPP!@RamsNFL are ROLLING. #RamsHouse

📺: #LARvsTB on NBC
📱: https://t.co/6Hz1DjFj3t pic.twitter.com/k0euIJvFV9

— NFL (@NFL) January 23, 2022

Per NFL Next Gen Stats, Stafford’s touchdown throw to Kupp had 50.3 yards of air distance, making it Stafford’s sixth touchdown this season thrown 50-plus yards through the air (including playoffs), the most in the NFL.