Raiders cornerback Leon Hall readies for Rams’ Cooper Kupp
ALAMEDA, Calif. — Leon Hall knows what awaits him.
The Raiders cornerback anticipates a matchup Monday with Los Angeles Rams slot receiver Cooper Kupp. From studying 2017 game film, Hall has picked up some of the nuances in his opponent’s route running. He said Wednesday that he planned to ask teammates on the scout team to imitate those subtleties during the practice week.
“Just to try to get as familiar with it as possible,” Hall said. “If you’re not ready, if you will, you can get embarrassed out there on Monday.”
He added with a laugh: “That’s not part of my plan.”
Hall is one of almost 30 Raiders players who will make their franchise debut at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. The nickel corner figures to draw much of Kupp, whose understanding of the game is considered beyond his years. Hall can relate. This offseason, he demonstrated time applies little to him, too.
The 33-year-old joined the Raiders in March on a one-year contract.
He was quick to make an impact, his leadership and influence on the likes of rookie cornerback Nick Nelson part of what prompted teammates to vote him among their six captains. But he is more than a 12th-year veteran who can insert wise words in practices and meetings.
He can play.
Yoga. Pilates. Massages. Stretching. Acupuncture. Chiropractor sessions. Through trial and error, Hall has learned various tricks to prepare his body at this latter stage in his career. But arguably his best move was a microdiscectomy, a form of lower back surgery he underwent in January 2016. Hall said he first dealt with lower back pain in college. It progressively worsened over the course of his NFL career, forcing him to miss time on the field.
Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther and Hall overlapped with the Cincinnati Bengals from 2007 to 2015.
“He probably looks better now than he did in my last year with him in Cincinnati,” Guenther said. “That’s when he was coming off a couple Achilles, but he moves around good. He understands all the ins and outs. I just (have) to look at Leon. If he makes a little mistake in practice, he goes, ‘I got you.’ I don’t even have to tell him, so it’s good to have a guy like that around.”
Kupp is a core piece of the Rams’ dynamic offense.
While running back Todd Gurley is the foundation from which the unit feeds — quarterback Jared Goff led the NFL last season with 1,446 yards off play action, according to Pro Football Focus — Kupp paced the Rams with 869 receiving yards as a rookie third-round pick. His 62 receptions and five touchdowns ranked second and third on the team.
On third down, his 23 catches, 323 yards and four touchdowns led the team.
On the film Hall studied, it was clear to see why.
Kupp, 25, displays an advanced understanding of coverages and leverage technique, knowing when to break off his route while Goff anticipates his movements from behind center. Kupp has a knack for exposing soft spots in zone coverage. After the catch, he has ability, too, something he displayed on a third-and-10 in December against the Philadelphia Eagles.
He ran an out route beyond the sticks, caught a Goff pass in stride and, with a couple of nifty sidesteps, made two defenders miss for a 64-yard gain.
“He’s very savvy,” Hall said. “Very tricky. … That’s something as a defender you need to be aware of where he can use your leverages and defenses against you. As a receiver, once you’re able to do that, it opens up the field for you. And as a defender, if you feel like somebody is not really familiar with maybe what we’re doing as a defense, you just feel like you have the upperhand going into the game, period.
“But considering the fact that he’s able to have knowledge of the defense he goes against in general, it’s one of those things that makes it harder for defenders, especially the nickelbacks.”
Kupp could record his share of receptions Monday.
Hall won’t be caught off guard.
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Contact reporter Michael Gehlken at mgehlken@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GehlkenNFL on Twitter.
Game day
Who: Los Angeles Rams at Raiders
When: 7:20 p.m. Monday
Where: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, Calif.
TV/Radio: ESPN; KDWN-AM (720), KCYE-FM (102.7), KBAD-AM (920), KWWN (1100 AM, 100.9 FM)
Line: Rams -4; total 48
