SEATTLE — Cobie Durant bit his tongue to save his wallet and not criticize his former teammate.
Durant made the tackle on what was ruled a 7-yard catch by Cooper Kupp to move the chains with 3:20 remaining Sunday in the Rams’ 31-27 loss to the Seahawks in the NFC Championship game.
Replays showed that Kupp was down short of the sticks, but head coach Sean McVay could not challenge because he called his final timeout instead of throwing the red flag, and was not allowed to change his mind by rule. The ball also popped loose from Kupp’s hands as he rolled over.
“Good game,” Durant told The Post, clearly trying to avoid the fine that comes from criticizing officials. “That’s it. That’s it.”
McVay was not asked after the game about the controversial play, but television lip readers claim that he said “Why not?” to officials when told he could not challenge.
How big of a swing was it? The Seahawks would have been facing fourth-and-inches at their own 34-yard line and a decision of whether to punt and trust their defense or try to put the game on ice with a 31-27 lead.
Instead, the first down allowed the Seahawks to run the clock down to 25 seconds before giving the ball to the Rams.
The irony is Kupp was Super Bowl 56 MVP for the Rams. He was released this past offseason and caught a touchdown Sunday in true revenge style.
“Usually when you get into situations like that, it’s ‘Does the receiver have possession all the way down the ground?’ ” safety Quentin Lake said. “The refs make a call and you have to honor it and keep playing. That wasn’t the finality of the game in that moment.”
Harrison Mevis, who was cut by the Jets earlier this season, made field goals of 44 and 50 yards in the first half. He has been the surprise correction to one of the Rams’ biggest weaknesses, including the 42-yard walk-off last week against the Bears.
Seahawks Pro Bowl linebacker Ernest Jones IV is another former Ram — a little farther removed than Kupp with a long memory. He was traded to the Titans prior to the 2024 season.
“I poured in a lot to that program, and to go out the way I did, I didn’t like it, but it is what it is,” Jones said. “I’m glad I’m here with these guys. We won, going to the Super Bowl. I’m just thankful.”
Puka Nacua finished the season with 153 catches for 2,047 yards and 12 touchdowns (regular season plus playoffs). He and Kupp are the only players in NFL history with over 2,000 yards in a single season — and both caught passes from Matthew Stafford.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
