Inside the Matthew Stafford-Cooper Kupp Rams game-winner - Los Angeles Rams Blog- ESPN

TAMPA, Fla. — Cooper Kupp didn't think he was going to be the hero on the play that set up the winning score, sending the Los Angeles Rams to the NFC Championship Game.

The All-Pro receiver thought he was merely a decoy.

It was one more thing that didn't go as planned for the Rams during a second half in which they lost three fumbles and a 27-3 lead to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before escaping Raymond James Stadium with a 30-27 divisional-round win.

Except quarterback Matthew Stafford's 44-yard completion to Kupp, which set up Matt Gay's 30-yard, winning field goal, was a happy accident and not another costly mistake that nearly led to an all-time playoff collapse.

«We call the route that I ran, we call it a 'love of the game' route,» Kupp said, «because you're really just trying to draw coverage.»

To put it another way: Kupp wasn't supposed to get the ball on that play, so his job is to run his vertical route all out, for the love of the game and for the benefit of whatever teammate is left open underneath thanks to the defender he's occupying deep.

That was the idea anyway. The plan changed when the Bucs, who had the highest blitz rate in the NFL this season, sent what was supposed to be an all-out blitz that left Kupp and the Rams' other three pass-catchers with one-on-one matchups and no help from a deep safety, which is known as zero coverage.

Tampa is playing zero-man technique here. Really aggressive call. https://t.co/6fhIZCyxPU

«The route that Cooper's running there… you're really never getting the ball,» Stafford said. «You're just clearing out some area, working for some other routes. They decided to bring everybody and that's really the best option at that point. Felt it after the snap, kind of