Q. I think Bobo mentioned after the game something about Cooper Kupp's run blocking school. What's that look like?
COOPER KUPP: What's school look like?
Q. Yeah.
COOPER KUPP: No, it's good. We run a trimester system -- no, I mean, it's fun. It's just a part of the game. You've heard me talk about it. I love this game. I love all parts of it. And a lot of guys in that room love it too.
So it's fun to be able to be around guys that want to block, they want to be a part of the run game. And it's obviously been a big part of why we've been successful this year, just being able to block for our running backs who have done an awesome job.
Just be a complement to what those guys up front are doing, how the tight ends block and all that stuff, and being able to be a part of it.
Q. Your head coach was just telling us the coaches had a plan for you, that maybe earlier in your career all that was asked of you workload-wise might have been a detriment health-wise. How different was their plan? Did you resist that at all? Were you all for it? Were you on board?
COOPER KUPP: I'm sorry, can you ask that one more time?
Q. Reduced workload early in the season, maybe offseason practices, how much were you on board with that plan, and how different was that than any other time?
COOPER KUPP: That they had a plan for reducing the workload and stuff like that?
Q. And managing it.
COOPER KUPP: Yeah, very different. They do a really good job here just in terms of what their overarching plan is for a lot of guys on the team. So a lot of it is trusting those guys. And our job as players is to come in here and be the pedal to the metal. I'd rather be pulled back than pushed forward. I'm just trusting the staff and the guys here that have put together those plans.
But, yeah, definitely different. Definitely different. But all with the same goal in mind. And it was a good thing to go through, and I'm feeling really good.
Q. Has it gone as you expected?
COOPER KUPP: Has it gone as I expected?
Q. (Indiscernible.)
COOPER KUPP: Oh, are you talking about workload?
Q. And production. How it translated to actually the game.
COOPER KUPP: Oh. Well, I mean, look, at the end of the day, I'm going to go out there and execute what's asked of me. I can certainly have -- as anyone would, everyone wants to come in here and have 1,500 yards in a year, score 10 touchdowns. You want the ball in your hands.
But ultimately my job is to do what that play call says to do and to execute it to the best of my possible ability. And I take a lot of pride in that and being an asset for the coaches and being a tool. When I'm sitting in these chairs with these guys, being someone that the coaches want to get something done, whether the pass game, the run game, screen, whatever it is, being able to execute your job.
So, no, I would say, no, it's not -- it hasn't gone production, what like everyone comes in and hopes that it's going to be, but it has been just for the success that we have had and what we've been able to do here. That has been the vision.
And so I've been ecstatic to be a part of it, to come in here every single day and be a part of working towards that goal. It's been exactly what I've wanted it to be.
Q. When you signed here, did you envision the potential of this game going against your former team?
COOPER KUPP: No, you take things one day at a time. I've touched on this a little bit, we all have a story. All these guys here that step on this field, they've all had a story to get them to this point. They've all had a journey of what this year has been, what the last few years have been to come to this point.
Mine is just one of 50, 53 that are going to be on that field. And my story, this is an unbelievable storyline, the chances of this ends up being what it is. And I'm really excited about that.
But this is the Seahawks going into an NFC Championship game and trying to get the job done. So that's the great thing about football. It's all these guys. All these guys have different stories, and we all get to play for one another.
I mean, it's a powerful thing when all 50 guys are playing for their purpose. But it's even more powerful when you're playing for the guys next to you and the people lining up alongside you.
And that's what I'm excited about, is the guys that are in this room that you want to go out there and win for, the coaches that put so much time into this that you want to go and execute your job for.
And we've got a lot of guys that live that, that are about it. And that's what makes this a really exciting thing for me.
Q. Have you and Ernest and Cam shared a moment, just like surprised about where this is?
COOPER KUPP: No, we haven't. No, we haven't. I mean, it's just been kind of this focus on what's ahead of us. And, yeah, so that's kind of where we're at.
Q. You've been with Puka Nacua for a couple years, play with Jaxon now. Stylistically they seem quite a bit different, but I don't know if that's accurate or what you kind of -- how you would kind of compare those guys a little bit in terms of what their styles are and kind of how they are.
COOPER KUPP: It's tough. There's going to be certain similarities. I've talked earlier in the year about some of the similarities that they play with. But at the end of the day, football is an art form, and you've got guys that you try to emulate and pull tools and things like that.
But everyone does it in their own way. And they both found ways to be successful and be productive and with their own path, with their own tools, their own talents and the gifts that they've got.
And, yeah, so it's hard to compare. Comparing those guys is tough, but obviously very good football players in their own right and doing some really good things.
Q. The Rams seem to be really aggressive in the secondary, jumping routes. Are there ways to take advantage of their aggression?
COOPER KUPP: It's all situational. There's times for it. There's times that they're soft. There's times that they know they want to be a little more aggressive on the back end, whether it's pressure and playing with a hot post player, things like that.
So it's all about the scheme and how they're trying to do things. Having an understanding of that is important I think offensively of when they're going to be more apt to jump routes and overlap with each other and when they're going to be a little bit softer.
And so that's something that they do a good job of mixing up and something that we've got to plan for.
Q. You talked about last week about the oddity of the 2020 playoff game with nobody in the stands. I'm wondering if you can compare what that experience was like with what you experienced on Saturday playing in a full stadium like that?
COOPER KUPP: Yeah. It was louder this time. Yeah, I mean, it was buzzing. I love it. The electricity, the fans brought it. It was awesome. And, yeah, really cool to be a part of.
I'm expecting even more this week. Can't wait. Can't wait to be a part of it. It's a fun thing to be a part of when the fans in Lumen are bringing it like that. Yeah, really looking forward to that.
Q. Guys who have known you for a while, like Cam Baker (indiscernible) three, four years, the same guy every day. How do you maintain that? What's the key to you showing up and being the same guy every day?
COOPER KUPP: Yeah, well, I think your process is part of it. The reason you play this game, one, I was -- God created me with a passion for football. I love it. I love every part of coming into work each day, no matter what the ask is. I love being around the guys that are here and working towards the common goal together. I love the adversity and the opportunity it presents to rise above things that everyone else says should put you down.
And at the end of the day, going back to why I was created to play this game, my amazing wife reminded me this week, we have this perspective that we do everything for a king to at the end of the day say, Well done, good and faithful servant.
When I wake up in the morning, that's where my mind is. I want to be there. I want to live in that space, eternal perspective, being earthly, good while I'm here, and being an impactful person to the people around me.
And I'm so excited about the opportunity that we have to go out and have a great Thursday. And so that's what keeps me coming back and really excited about just being able to be steady, go through all the highs and lows that football presents, and be the same me through it all.
Q. What do you think has been the key to the coaches making the vision come to life and have players bought in? Trust? Integrity? What are some of those things?
COOPER KUPP: Well, I think above all, I mean, it's a preschool adage, it's you see better than you hear. If you want to have guys grab onto what you're speaking, just show us. Live it out.
And from the very top of this organization all the way down, you've got people coming about -- coming into the building and living out the words that they're speaking to us. And if you're not, you're going to get held accountable. And guys are comfortable, whether it's players to coaches, coaches to players, guys are going to hold each other accountable to the things we speak about.
We talk about M.O.B. Ties and it being a thing that we all bought into, that no matter what, if you come to this team, week 16, week 17, whenever it is, you're going to know these are principles we live by about the truth, about playing with violence, about protecting each other.
There's principles that we're going to live by that you're going to see. And it's not going to be something that's just on the wall or on a T-shirt, it's in the action of the guys walking down the halls and on the football field. And that's what makes this kind of thing come alive.
Q. When you think back to training camp when Mike Macdonald had you in his office and he was passing along thoughts he had on defense and how to attack different schemes, how much of those conversations have then come to fruition during the season?
COOPER KUPP: Yeah, it does. It's like -- it's little nuggets here and there, little opportunities to see where things that he's talked about have overlapped and just pieces that stick with you. It's hard to go through a conversation with Mike with all the intricacy and all the understanding he has defensively and try and grasp and absorb all of it.
But being able to grasp little things here and there, it's like, man, I know this is a way to challenge this coverage match, this is a way to challenge what are the depths that these rules change for corners and safeties, when are they going to pass things, when are they going to carry them, what can I do to put guys in conflict.
Those are the things that stick with you and make the difference, the little details.
Q. Stafford and his no-look passing (indiscernible) Super Bowl doing that, have you ever seen a quarterback do it as effective as he does, and how good is he doing that?
COOPER KUPP: Yeah, it's uncanny. It's pretty amazing. He's obviously got an incredible ability to do it. He's been doing it for a long time. And I don't know, this year, it seems like you watch the tape, I mean, he's getting a little aggressive, it's egregious how many of these throws that he's got on tape.
But it's impressive. Obviously, in my book, he's one of the best ever to play the position. Everyone else can have their opinions on it. But as someone who was in the room with him, on the field with him, it's hard to play at a higher level than he's capable of playing at and has shown to do over and over again.
So obviously a great challenge anytime you're on the field playing against Matthew Stafford.
Q. How did you see Sam handle last week after he had the injury on Thursday and then through the game and things like that? You guys talk about how steady he is. Was he still the same?
COOPER KUPP: Yeah, it was crazy. I think that's why it was so frustrating for guys, to be like, man, is he okay or not. Not able to practice, but then you get in there, and it's like, man, it seems like he's fine, but he also seems kind of pissed. But he's fine. So it was, Like what is this? What is really happening?
It wasn't until you get out there and see him throwing around, ripping the ball. I guess really get after that first touchdown throw to Jax, I figured if he can make that, most of his throws will be just fine.
Q. His one to you there, too, to bounce back after the sack and rip that one, you had to feel like he had everything he needed at that point, right?
COOPER KUPP: Oh, yeah. Exactly. That one was just over and over again, making the throws he needed to, being able to take each step in the pocket. So, yeah, it was really cool to see that.
Q. As one of the only people that have been with Sean McVay and Mike Macdonald the length time that you have, what do you think people don't know about those two as play callers?
COOPER KUPP: As play callers? What don't people know? I don't know. I mean, they're both pretty well documented in terms of what they bring, the challenges that they want to present to offenses and defenses alike.
I think the biggest thing, I mean, it's probably been touched on, but just being able to show things and be able to do things and build off of it, talk about be an amoeba, be something that's ever changing, ever growing, be a moving target.
And I think they both live that same kind of principle. And it makes it really tough. It makes it really challenging as a -- when you're presenting ideas to the other side of the ball, it makes things tough to kind of zero in.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports