Denver Broncos outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper posted the NFL’s best pressure rate (41.2%) in the team’s season opener against the Seattle Seahawks, according to The 33rd Team.
That pressure led to a pair of sacks for Cooper, tied for third-most in the league. The pass rusher would have traded those sacks for a win.
“It’s okay, it’s good,” Cooper said of the sacks after a 26-20 loss in Seattle. “It wasn’t enough because we didn’t win. I feel like the win is what’s most important. Always, always. It doesn’t matter if I have five sacks in the first half. If we don’t get that win, then what’s the point?”
Cooper’s performance in Week 1 did not surprise defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.
“I’ve been a fan of ‘Coop’ for years,” Joseph said Thursday. “He’s only improved each year I’ve been here in the last two years. He is a good football player. Versus the run and versus the pass, he wins his one-on-ones. He is the same every day, so I’m not surprised that he was winning one-on-ones.”
This week, Cooper will go up against a Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line that allowed two sacks in Week 1. Cooper will aim to build on his sack total in a winning effort on Sunday.
“The one thing you always see from ‘Coop,’ number one, he’s a downhill straight-line, he’s a physical player,” coach Sean Payton said. “So that becomes a load if you’re a tight end or even if you’re a tackle. You feel a strong presence.
“He’s certainly one of our edge players that we rely on. Not only for pressure in the passing game, but also setting an edge in the run game.”
After leading the team with 8.5 sacks last season, Cooper is well on his way to the first double-digit sack campaign of his career.
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