The Oakland Raiders will have their playoff aspirations on the line in Week 15 at home against the Dallas Cowboys. However, the Raiders will not have the services of one of their primary offensive weapons as star wide receiver Amari Cooper has been ruled out of the contest, according to James Palmer of NFL Network.
Raiders Amari Cooper and Mario Edwards both officially out vs the Cowboys
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) December 15, 2017
This has come to be the expected move, as Cooper has yet to practice this week due to re-injuring his ankle against the Kansas City Chiefs this past Sunday. The 23-year-old had decided to test it out despite not practicing all week leading up to the game.
With that in mind, Oakland has decided to avoid that approach this week by declaring him inactive in order to prevent the same scenario from unfolding once again. It has been a disappointing 2017 season for Amari Cooper, who has recorded just 42 catches for 499 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
Beyond his huge performance in Week 7 against the Chiefs, where he had 11 catches for 210 receiving yards and two touchdowns, he has been a non-factor in the passing game. In fact, he has posted fewer than 65 yards in the other 10 games played this season.
His absence from the field will likely lead to heavier dependency on both wide receiver Michael Crabtree and tight end Jared Cook in the passing game. In the Week 14 loss to the Chiefs, Cook hauled in five catches for 75 receiving yards and a touchdown. Crabtree had seven receptions and 60 receiving yards in the contest.
This is obviously a big blow for the Raiders.
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