The Dallas Cowboys came into their NFC Divisional Round matchup against the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday night as one of the hottest teams in the league, but they were still considered an underdog against the mighty Rams.
You would never know that they were underdogs early on, as they put forth a terrific stand to hold Los Angeles to a field goal on the first drive of the game and followed that up with a fourth-down conversion and then a touchdown on their first offensive drive.
The Cowboys score came courtesy of wide receiver Amari Cooper, whom they acquired from the Oakland Raiders in a heavily-scrutinized midseason trade:
.@Dak hits @AmariCooper9 for the 29-yard #DallasCowboys TOUCHDOWN!#FinishThisFight #NFLPlayoffs
📺: #DALvsLAR on FOX pic.twitter.com/IiwVg5R0WM
— NFL (@NFL) January 13, 2019
Dallas traded a first-round pick for Cooper, a move that raised a lot of eyebrows given Cooper's struggles since 2017.
However, the deal turned out to be a boon for the Cowboys, as Cooper hauled in 53 receptions for 725 yards and six touchdowns in nine games with Dallas, bringing his totals to 75 catches, 1.005 yards and seven scores overall on the year.
Cooper also caught seven passes for 106 yards during Dallas' Wild Card Round win over the Seattle Seahawks last weekend.
The 24-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Alabama, was originally selected by the Raiders with the fourth overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Cooper had a terrific first year in Oakland, snaring 72 balls for 1,070 yards and six touchdowns en route to a Pro Bowl appearance. He then made another Pro Bowl in 2016 after finishing with 83 receptions, 1,153 yards and five scores.
He then had a very disappointing 2017, catching just 48 passes for 680 yards.
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