NFL Locals: Cooper Kupp shows he’s still got it on ‘Sunday Night Football’

Cooper Kupp is still one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. He proved as much Sunday night.

Kupp and the Los Angeles Rams made their return to Ford Field in Detroit, the site where their playoff campaign ended in the wild-card round last season, and walked away with another bitter defeat.

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery scored a walk-off touchdown in overtime for a 26-20 win. The Rams never touched the ball in the extra period.

This trip to Detroit was far different for Kupp. Last season he was held to just five receptions for 27 yards at the end of an injury-plagued year.

Sunday night Kupp, the Eastern Washington great who introduced himself on the broadcast from AC Davis High School (to the dismay of some EWU alumni), had a career-high 14 receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown.

Kupp was the catalyst of the Rams’ go-ahead touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, catching four passes for 36 yards, including the 9-yard score. It looked like that result might stick, but the Rams were unable to run the clock out when they got the ball back, and the Lions kicked a field goal to force overtime.

• Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh didn’t need his former Michigan assistant Connor Stalions by his side to know what to expect against Las Vegas quarterback Gardner Minshew (Washington State).

Like most of his starts last season, Minshew scrapped for yards and kept his team in contention. On Sunday though, the Raiders needed a little more.

Las Vegas lost 22-10 to host Los Angeles in Minshew’s Raiders debut. He completed 25 of 33 passes for 257 yards with one TD, one interception and a lost fumble.

Minshew’s first touchdown pass with the Raiders came on a swing route to running back Alexander Mattison, who did most of the work, eluding a tackler and running 31 yards down the sideline to give the Raiders a 7-3 lead late in the first quarter.

The Chargers went on to score field goals in the second and third quarters. That’s when Minshew marched the Raiders on a nine-play drive that could have ended in a go-ahead field goal, but Daniel Carlson’s kick missed.

Carlson later made a field goal after a Chargers touchdown to make it 16-10. The Raiders got the ball back with 9:30 remaining in the fourth quarter near midfield and Minshew hit Mattison on a third -down pass that was 1 yard shy of moving the chains.

Many coaches in the modern NFL would have opted to go for it in that position, but the Raiders punted and gave up a touchdown on the next drive to put the game out of reach.

Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley (WSU) got the start and was tied for the team lead with seven tackles.

• The new-look Washington Commanders defense – featuring linebackers Frankie Luvu (WSU) and former Seahawks great Bobby Wagner – had a tough season debut.

Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield threw for 289 yards and four touchdowns in a 37-20 win at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

Wagner led the Commanders with 10 tackles (three for loss). Luvu chipped in five tackles.

• Atlanta linebacker Kaden Elliss (Idaho) did his part in a slugfest, an 18-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Elliss had a game-high nine tackles and the Falcons kept the Steelers out of the end zone, but it didn’t matter as Chris Boswell booted six field goals including a long of 57 yards.

Atlanta quarterback Kirk Cousins had a lackluster debut, completing 16 of 26 passes for 155 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

• Safety Jalen Thompson (WSU) had six tackles for the Arizona Cardinals in a near-upset of the host Buffalo Bills.

Thompson also had a pass breakup in the 34-28 loss.

The Cardinals gave up 21 unanswered points after taking a 17-3 lead late in the second quarter. That was when Buffalo QB Josh Allen finally found his rhythm and went on to score four touchdowns, two passing and two rushing.

• Carolina cornerback Chau Smith-Wade (WSU) saw his first NFL action during a blowout 47-10 loss to the host New Orleans Saints.

Smith-Wade, a seventh-round pick, had one tackle as a number of reserves made their way on the field.