Getty Cooper Kupp of the LA Rams.
Looks like Cooper Kupp is his own trendsetter when it comes to wide receiver routes for the Los Angeles Rams.
Like any wideout, Kupp has to perfect the fade, slant, post, etc. before Matthew Stafford feeds him the football. However, Kupp has also executed one rare route that’s starting to pick up among fans and was used by one other NFL wideout…and it’s a route that’s given Kupp six points during the last time he pulled off this particular maneuver.
What is this called?
“That’s the ‘Ocho’ route. That’s an Omaha-China-Out,” head coach Sean McVay said during his Monday “Coach McVay Show” with J.B. Long and D’Marco Farr near the 11:10 mark of the video. “It takes timing. It takes a great feel. That’s a route that Cooper kind of invented himself, so you’ve got to give him the credit.”
How the ‘Ocho’ Works
Before describing this move, he’s an aerial view of how Kupp fakes out the nearest Tampa Bay Buccaneers defender from the 34-24 home win on Sunday, September 26:
The @CooperKupp fake speed out- china route up top makes me want to hurl it’s so beautiful
Kupp starts by running a 5-yard out. He stops and gets the DB Carlton Davis to believe he’s coming back inside as Kupp’s eyes are now turned to the backfield, making it look like the 6-foot-2 Kupp will run inside like a comeback route. However, Kupp gets Davis to bite inside by redirecting his feet toward the sidelines. Davis is already out of position…and Kupp beats him to the end zone.
No WR has been more impressive through Week 3 than Cooper Kupp — currently leads the NFL in yards per route run (3.86), per @PFF.
The buzz for the “Ocho” populated social media feeds and earned a “Cool Plays Bro” moment from Peter Schrager and Golden Tate of the NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” on Wednesday, with Schrager calling it “maybe the nastiest route we’ve seen all season.” Tate himself admitted he’s never seen a route like that before, and that’s coming from a guy who has played 12 seasons in the league and has three 1,000-yard seasons.
#Rams offense lights it up, @JoshAllenQB scores 5 TD, and @jtuck9 hits the longest field goal in NFL history…
It all makes @PSchrags say #CoolPlaysBro
A route like the “Ocho” doesn’t happen overnight. McVay told Long and Farr that Kupp and Stafford spend time trying to perfect the timing and connection with the Omaha-China-Out.
“Him and Matthew made it come to life. We did a great job protecting right there but that’s one of those deals where when you’ve got the right kind of guys that have autonomy and ownership, they make a suggestion, sometimes you’ve got to see it. We’d been practicing that one a handful of times and Cooper’s consistently done that in practice and it’s nice to be able to see that come to life and he did a great job on it,” McVay said.
There is one wideout in the league on a current unbeaten who is using his version of the “Ocho.”
Raiders Slot WR Has Used a Variant of the Route
Hunter Renfrow busted out the unconventional route during the the Las Vegas Raiders’ overtime home win over the Miami Dolphins from Sunday. Except he put his own spin on it.
Facing Cover 1 versus Miami — which is man-to-man coverage — Renfrow draws top Dolphins’ ball-hawk Xavien Howard in the solo matchup. Renfrow starts out by getting Howard to believe he’s running a flat route to the sidelines. Renfrow, however, pivots himself back inside…which causes Howard to face the sidelines while Renfrow cuts back in with the newly created separation.
Derek Carr hits Renfrow near the six and the former Clemson Tiger gets the Silver and Black powers inside the red zone to take the lead.
The “Ocho” has become the latest addition to the route tree. Don’t be shocked if many other WR’s regardless of level try to perfect it the way Kupp has or put their own spin on it like Renfrow.