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After back-to-back losses to the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans, the Buffalo Bills have officially course-corrected, winning two games in a row to climb to 5-2 on the season. The latest victory came on Sunday afternoon in a 24-point throttling of the Tennessee Titans, who jumped out to a 10-0 lead over Buffalo before the Bills closed the game on a commanding 34-0 run.
One Bills player who took a little time to wake up on Sunday afternoon was wide receiver Amari Cooper, but Coop had a good excuse to get off to a slow start… it had only been five days since Buffalo acquired the 10-year veteran from the Cleveland Browns. After the game, Cooper shared that when he got the call from Bills general manager Brandon Beane he was told he'd be playing against Tennessee.
“As soon as I got traded, right on the phone call, he was like, ‘You playing this week',” Cooper said, per Alec White of BuffaloBills.com.
So, what did it take for Amari Cooper to get himself ready in just five days to be able to play, and score a touchdown, in his Buffalo Bills debut? Josh Allen explained after the game that since Cooper arrived in Western New York, he's been working tirelessly to get himself prepped.
“He was up somewhere studying with [quality control coach] D.J. Mangas and [receivers] coach [Adam] Henry, every single day,” Allen told Pro Football Talk after the win. “So he spent extra time every day. He spent extra time this morning on the game field before the game, understanding his assignments and going and doing it. I didn’t do anything, that was all him and that speaks again to his character and his savviness.”
Wisely, the Bills didn't overload Cooper ahead of his first outing. According to Pro Football Reference, Cooper was on the field for just 35 percent of Buffalo's offensive snaps against the Titans. But credit goes to the four-time Pro Bowler, because he made the most of them, finishing with four receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown.
“The plays that were for me I was 100% comfortable with. I went over them a lot. It was just another day at the office at the wide receiver position,” said Cooper.
Bills offense expected to explode after Amari Cooper acquisition
For a decade now, Amari Cooper has gotten used to a familiar sound whenever he makes a catch. COOOOOOOOP! Whether it was in Dallas, Oakland, Cleveland, or now in Buffalo, fans have serenaded the underrated wideout with love with every big play he makes. But the Coop chants in Buffalo hit a little different.
“There was something special about the one today though,” Cooper said. “It's very impressive. I mean, the fans, they have a good feel to the game, like I said, it just felt different, the fans for some reason.”
A knowledgable Buffalo Bills fanbase knows what Josh Allen knows too… the presence of Amari Cooper is going to make Allen's life a hell of a lot easier.
“They’ve got to respect him,” Josh Allen said. “They’ve got to cloud over there and give that cornerback some help . . . And if they didn’t, we threw him the ball. So I guess pick your poison with that. It makes the quarterback position a lot easier.”
The addition of Amari Cooper gives the Bills a formidable quartet of pass-catchers which includes Khalil Shakir, rookie wideout Keon Coleman, and second-year tight end Dalton Kincaid. On Sunday, those four combined for 18 receptions and 308 yards receiving.
