Did you see Amari Cooper’s big game for the Buffalo Bills on Sunday against Seattle?
Neither did I.
Sure, The Bills beat the Seahawks on the road, 31-10. And have an incredible 3½-game lead in the AFC East, but allow me to criticize Cooper for a second. Because the well-traveled star wide receiver said he was “definitely ready for an increased role — that’s why he Traded for me”.
On Sunday, Cooper’s snap count doubled – from just 19 to 38 – yet he finished the day with a grand total of one reception for three yards on two targets.
In a twist of irony, on that second goal, Cooper was blamed for Josh Allen’s first interception of the season. He targeted Cooper from an oblique route; Cooper fumbled and the ball went straight into the cornerback’s hands.
In the 2024 wide receivers arms race, where DeAndre Hopkins, Davante Adams and Cooper have changed uniforms and more could be on the way before the Nov. 5 trade deadline, your mileage may vary on which People will actually become stars for their new teams. (I warned earlier this month that pursuing Adams would be a fool’s errand for the scrappy New York Jets.)
But apart from teasing, I’m not saying that Bills deal for Cooper Was a bad idea. In fact, that was a deal: According to Spotrac, the Bills inherited only $806,667 of the remaining salary on Cooper’s expiring contract. Buffalo is going to come out a big winner, even if Cooper doesn’t have exciting stats that will help him get his next contract.
What Cooper really did to help the Bills on Sunday: He opened up the floor for his teammates.
Cooper’s threat as a top-tier NFL receiver took some defenders’ attention away from Khalil Shakir and rookie Keon Coleman, who had nine and five career catches, respectively.
Shakir, a small and quick weapon I’ve always liked, has rushed for 107 yards and is already approaching career-high totals across the board halfway through his third NFL season. Coleman, the 33rd pick in April’s draft, followed up a 125-yard game against Tennessee last week with 70 yards and a score in Seattle. To date the team has only had two 100-yard receiving performances on the year.
Allen probably doesn’t get enough credit for raising the level of his pass-catchers, but after Buffalo traded away Stefon Diggs, the team’s receiver corps was fairly anonymous. Just give opposing defenses one more thing to think about, and it leads to guys like Shakir, Coleman and tight ends.
“As the season goes on everyone starts to understand what their role is. It’s a part of the game,” Shakir said. “…But I always say this: Any play, any number, at any time in that receiver room can be called and a play can be made. Our room is very dynamic, and I truly believe it’s one of the best in the NFL.
Where does that leave Cooper, whose fantasy football managers today aren’t nearly as happy as the Bills’ front office?
Even though he has transitioned from playing with Deshaun Watson to Allen, I personally wouldn’t bet on Cooper having the kind of explosive game he played after being traded by the Raiders to the Cowboys during the 2018 season. First, he needs to run more than 50 percent of the snaps on offense, which, in fairness, could be right around the corner. But he is a man who has had hot and cold weather in the past.
Cooper, 30, will be a free agent in 2025. As he thinks about the future and wonders who his next team will be, it certainly makes sense that he would agitate for a bigger role in the Buffalo offense — he’s trying to secure one. And bag. There is no need to give him that role in the Bills.
So while the Bills are destined for another playoff berth, I’m interested to see what the offense looks like week-to-week once they get there, and whether Cooper “understands what his role is” beyond that. , or begins to express dissatisfaction.