Cooper Kupp makes his mark on the Super Bowl, especially in the final phase. As he did the entire season before. Nevertheless, the MVP award is almost uncomfortable for the wide receiver of the Los Angeles Rams.

Munich – On the stage that every NFL pro wants to step on once, Cooper Kupp was almost a little embarrassed. “I don’t have words for it,” he explained on the podium at SoFi Stadium, “I’m just grateful to everybody.”

Before this record-breaking short acceptance speech, the wide receiver of the Los Angeles Rams had once again let actions speak. He caught two touchdowns in the 23:20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, a total of eight passes for 92 yards.

Including the one that turned the dramatic game around with 1:25 minutes left and ultimately decided the game.

Discussions about Donald

The reward, in addition to the Vince Lombardi Trophy and the Super Bowl ring to be received in a few weeks, was being voted MVP of the biggest NFL game of the season.

Of course, there was and still is controversy about whether colleague Aaron Donald, who killed the last Bengals drive, would not have been more deserving of this individual trophy after what could have been his last outing.

Kupp shoulders the final drive

Nevertheless, fan favourite Kupp certainly had the support of the fans- with the long drawn out chants of “Cooooop” they celebrated their number one receiver. The Californians were able to rely on the blonde when Odell Beckham Jr. was out of action due to injury and the offence increasingly faltered.

Kupp caught four balls for 39 yards in the winning drive and also gained a new first down on 4th-and-1. Shortly before the touchdown, he drew a pass interference against Eli Apple. His previous catch in the end zone was nullified due to a holding by Rob Havenstein.

Rams could hardly find a means

So he had more than earned the individual award for Man of the match. Without Cooper Kupp in such outstanding form, the comeback would have been even more difficult than it already was.

After all, the Rams seemed to be at their wit’s end, giving the ball away without a first down every time in the second half apart from the drive for the field goal.

Triple Crown and Offensive Player of the year

The new award joins several honours during a stellar season that saw the 28-year-old secure a place in the league’s history books. In the regular season, he grabbed the rare Triple Crown with the most receptions (145), the most receiving yards (1947) and the most receiving touchdowns (16). Kupp, the receiver king.

Consequently, he was named Offensive Player of the Year. Even in the voting for Season MVP, Kupp received one vote from the 50-member jury. That trophy had never gone to a receiver in history.

Kupp like only Montana before him

Even in the Super Bowl, pass receivers rarely receive the top individual honor. Kupp was only the eighth receiver in 56 years to be singled out.

Before him, only the great Joe Montana took home Offensive Player of the year and Super Bowl MVP trophies in the same season. No question about it: it was a season for the record books that the father of two conjured up on the turf in his fifth NFL season.

Postseason record in receptions

In 14 of the 21 games he covered more than 100 yards through the air. In dethroning the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Divisional Round, his 183 receiving yards gave Tom Brady and Co. the rest. In the Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers, he scored both touchdowns.

Kupp set a new postseason record with 33 receptions, and the 478 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns in the four most important games of the season catapulted him into second place on the all-time list. So he just didn’t stop delivering.

Kupp thinks directly of the team

So it’s no exaggeration at all to say that without this Kupp, the Rams probably would have only experienced this Super Bowl in their own stadium as spectators. But the very last thing the third-round pick of the 2017 draft would call himself is a one-man show.

And so he also knew who to thank. “I’m so proud of the team, how we prepared, the love we have for each other, how we trust each other,” Kupp artfully handed out compliments in the “NBC” interview.

Kupp strangers to MVP award

Humility was not enough. For he also slipped out the sentence, “It just doesn’t feel like I deserve this.” Oh yes it does! After this season, definitely. Even if the MVP award was only representative of the season as a whole. As the league’s bow to incredible consistency at the highest level.

Just no false modesty. There is simply no reason to be alienated with this trophy.

Kupp has been there weekend after weekend over the past five months when the Rams have needed a sure-fire face-off.

There is truly no need for pithy sayings to establish that. The sheer statistics are telling enough.