With a Cleveland Browns Week 1 game scheduled against the Carolina Panthers, one guy who will turn a lot of heads is Amari Cooper. Cooper enters as the Browns' No. 1 WR option, though some believe he is already on the decline. Will he prove them wrong in Week 1? Ahead of this Browns-Panthers game, we’ll be making our Amari Cooper Week 1 bold predictions.
Many people dislike the combination of Amari Cooper with Jacoby Brissett. If it were Deshaun Watson under center, they would love Cooper as the Browns' No. 1 WR. As things currently stand, however, many fans, observers, and experts have given Cooper a very low ceiling for the 2022 season.
That kind of disrespect has made the four-time Pro Bowler extremely hungry to prove his doubters wrong. Cooper has the skill and now the motivation to not only make do but rather, excel. Remember also that Brissett may not be a star, but he is also no slacker. Loyal Browns fans will put their faith in this duo, and deservingly so.
On the other end of the field, yes, Carolina was unexpectedly strong against opposing receivers last season. Recall as well that Cooper averaged 23.0 yards per reception versus the Panthers in 2021 and grabbed one touchdown. Even if the Browns play mainly as a run-centric offense, Cooper should still get enough opportunities to shine.
He certainly has the potential to excel in Week 1 and throughout the entire season. Cooper has shown his elite receiving prowess many times before. Having said that, let's now look at our Amari Cooper Week 1 bold predictions.
#Browns Amari Cooper said there will hopefully be “fireworks” on offense this season pic.twitter.com/tscwgmsfSp
— Fred Greetham (@FredGreetham9) September 8, 2022
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3. Amari Cooper will have a 50-yard catch
Jarvis Landry had dominated the Browns' receiving corps in the past. He, in fact, led the club in catches in each of the previous four seasons. His career-best was 83 receptions for 1,174 receiving yards in the 2019 season when he was named to his fifth Pro Bowl.
That's why Cleveland surprised everyone by releasing Landry and then quickly signing Cooper. Without the seasoned receiver, Cooper will almost certainly find himself on the receiving end of numerous passes during the season. Expect him to get a lion's share of the targets even with the presence of Donovan Peoples-Jones, David Bell, and Anthony Schwartz in the WR corps.
Cooper is ideally positioned to lead the club in receptions in 2022. As the new WR1, he has a chance to set a new career-high in receptions for a season, and don't be shocked if he goes big against the Panthers. Against Carolina in 2021, Cooper had three receptions for a total of 69 yards and a long of 35. He will eclipse that in Week 1 as he should get a 50-yard catch against a Panthers' secondary that won't be able to slow him down.
2. Amari Cooper gets 70+ yards
That 50-yard catch will do much to help Cooper get to 70+ yards total in Week 1. Because the Browns will prioritize the run, especially with Brissett known more as a game-managing QB, Cooper should get no more than six or seven targets in this game. Still, that should be enough for the former Dallas Cowboy to get to 70 yards total.
Remember that Cooper has always been a significant offensive threat throughout his prior stints with the Oakland Raiders and the Cowboys. He has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards five times in his career, the most recent being in 2020.
Cooper fell short in 2021 owing to a crowded receiving unit in Dallas, as he shared touches with Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb. The Browns' corps won't be as deep. As such, Cooper will have a good chance to breach 70 yards in this game and eventually break 1,000 yards for the season. He will be a legitimate No. 1 wideout who will prove doubters wrong and make his fifth Pro Bowl.
1. Amari Cooper wins battle with Jaycee Horn
Cooper will go against both Donte Jackson and Jaycee Horn but expect Horn to shadow the star WR most of the time in Week 1.
Horn had a promising debut season before suffering a season-ending foot injury. He'll be at a disadvantage going one-on-one against Cooper.
We cannot overstate how Cooper is one of Cleveland's most dangerous weapons. He is recognized as one of the NFL's smoothest route runners and is a prototypical ‘X' receiver who can take over a game if left open too many times.
Sure, Horn may have an advantage against Cooper in both stature and quickness, but once we account for Cooper's explosive ability and his route-running, this could be ugly for the Panthers CB.
Cooper should win this battle and maybe even put a highlight or two on YouTube for the coming week.
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