Bills’ Amari Cooper explains how he managed to play vs. the Titans after trade
Amari Cooper managed to suit up for the Buffalo Bills against the Tennessee Titans.
Cooper was acquired via trade just days ago but evidently he always knew he was going to play. He made an impact in the 34-10 win. Most notably, Cooper scored a touchdown on his first catch as a Bill.
Pulling that off is difficult, Cooper put in the work to do so and credited his studying skills to make it happen.
“I drove here on Tuesday and didn’t really start to learn the playbook until Wednesday,” Cooper said. “I do have an impressive memory, I think.”
That extra effort was noticed around Buffalo’s locker room
“A huge shoutout to him for putting in the extra hours for this game,” quarterback Josh Allen said.
Cooper ended up finishing with four catches on five targets for 66 yards.
For more from Cooper, Allen and head coach Sean McDermott, see the attached WKBW-TV clip below:
National reactions: First Bills TD for Amari Cooper catches attention
Amari Cooper is on the board for the Buffalo Bills.
In his debut with his new team, Cooper hauled in a touchdown during the Bills’ 34-10 win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 7.
The play was in the red zone and there is some debate whether or not Cooper even really knew what was going on since he’s so new to the team. Regardless, he got the job done and his quick impact caught some attention.
Check out a roundup of national media reactions to Cooper’s first touchdown with the Bills:
Booger McFarland, ESPN
Amari cooper trade will be more impactful than the Devante Adams trade.
In his first game since the Cleveland Browns traded him to the Buffalo Bills, wide receiver Amari Cooper scored a touchdown on his very first catch on his new team.
From 12 yards out, Cooper was on the receiving end of a Josh Allen pass from the slot in the back of the endzone. He is now up to three catches for 58 yards in his Bills’ debut.
Amari Cooper’s first catch AND first touchdown as a Buffalo Bill!
Cooper was bundled with a seventh round pick and traded for a third and sixth round pick from the Bills. He was off to a slow start with the Browns, leading the NFL in drops. He was coming off of back-to-back Pro Bowl years in Cleveland.
The Browns now have a need at wide receiver on their way to 1-6 on the season.
But for now, Cooper is still acclimating to Buffalo, learning the playbook, and trying to ingratiate himself into an AFC heavyweight’s roster mix.
We saw a perfect example of this early in the third quarter during the Bills’ battle with the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
With the Bills facing a second-and-long in the red zone, it appeared that Cooper didn’t know what route to run from the slot after Allen audibled to a different play. You could even see a confused Cooper asking rookie playmaker Keon Coleman for help.
Cooper amazingly wound up scoring his first Bills touchdown on the sequence anyway, but it’s unclear whether Coleman successfully pointed him in the right direction:
Looks like Amari Cooper didn’t know the audible when Josh Allen checked the play. He looks to Keon Coleman who either tells him what to do or he makes it up 😂 TOUCHDOWN! pic.twitter.com/8jnXw1e4sQ
WATCH: Amari Cooper’s first catch with the Bills is a touchdown
Amari Cooper’s impact with the Bills? Nearly instant.
Cooper, who was landed by the Bills in a trade this past week, scored on his first-career catch with the team.
In the red zone, Cooper hauled in a pass down the middle from quarterback Josh Allen against the Titans in Week 7. Cooper’s grab also gave his team a 14-10 lead in the process.
Check out the score below:
Amari Cooper’s first catch AND first touchdown as a Buffalo Bill!
The second-round pick by the club in the 2024 NFL Draft has 12 receptions on 20 targets for 201 yards with two touchdowns through six games. He’s also been third on the team in targets and yards receiving after Khalil Shakir and tight end Dalton Kincaid.
He also gained a new teammate who could further open up opportunities for him and potentially help his development as well.
When asked about the newest Bills receiver, Coleman was happy to have a player of Cooper’s experience and ability around.
“I mean, it’s Amari Cooper,” Coleman said to the media on Thursday. “Great receiver, produced in the league for a long time. Get to learn from him and watch him work every day.”
He also gave a funny analogy to describe the big trade addition.
“Same thing like adding another person with more money in your household,” the rookie added. “Help you pay everything, help everything out. Help everybody else get open and just bring more thrill to the offense.”
Coleman has gotten some more looks in the passing game as of late, in part, due to scarcity.
The Bills have not yet replaced the receiving threat or target productivity of former WR1 Stefon Diggs. Though they have spread the ball out across more receivers, Coleman and other targeted players have had difficulty getting separation and open looks the way they did when opposing defenses double-teamed Diggs.
The addition of Cooper can open things up more for Coleman and company, and the young receiver might even see some time on the other side of the ball as well should a play call for it.
QB Aaron Rodgers’ successful hail mary at the end of the first half during last week’s Monday Night Football showdown with the Jets was one the Bills were unsuccessful in defending, allowing a scoring play.
And, more famously, the team also failed to bat down a 2020 Kyler Murray to DeAndre Hopkins play dubbed the “Hail Murray” which won that game for the Arizona Cardinals.
Due to the difficulties that Buffalo has had defending these deep scoring plays, Coleman’s athleticism, jump ball abilities, and basketball background could come in handy.
And according to Sean McDermott via WROC, there is a possibility the Bills could use Coleman as part of the secondary in coverage for future Hail Mary attempts to bat down passes.
3 keys to a Bills victory vs. the Titans in Week 7
The Buffalo Bills will host the Tennessee Titans at Highmark Stadium in Week 7.
The Bills (4-2) are coming off a crucial divisional win over the New York Jets in Week 6 and lead the AFC East. The Titans (1-4) stand toward the bottom of the AFC under first-year head coach Brian Callahan.
The Bills have an enticing new weapon on offense after trading for Amari Cooper from the Cleveland Browns. Even before Cooper’s arrival, the Bills rank third in the NFL in offensive DVOA through six weeks.
On the other hand, the Titans have been a disaster on offense. They are turning the ball over and they have struggled to pass consistently. The Titans do, however, boast the league’s top defense in yards allowed per game.
The Bills are favored by 9.5 points on Sunday but every week is a challenge in the NFL. They’ll need to execute the game plan to gain their fifth win of the year.
Here are three keys to a Bills win in Week 7:
Win the turnover battle
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When it comes to turning the ball over in 2024, the Bills and the Titans are at opposite ends of the spectrum. The Bills are ranked second in the NFL with a turnover differential of +8, while the Titans are ranked second-to-last with a turnover differential of -7. Will Levis leads the NFL in interceptions with seven. On the flip side, Buffalo’s Josh Allen has not thrown one.
The Bills need to do what they have been for much of the season, and that is win the turnover battle. The Bills are favored by nearly double digits in this one, but a couple of turnovers could shift the momentum quickly.
Get the receivers involved
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It’s not just newcomer Amari Cooper that has to get going in the Bills offense, it’s many of the other wide receivers who are still new to Allen. Among the WRs, only Khalil Shakir had played a game with Allen before the year. And it has shown through six weeks. Shakir has been the only consistent receiver (when healthy). He leads the Bills in receiving while ranking just 55th in the NFL in receiving yards.
The Titans have a stingy defense, but they haven’t seen an offense like the Bills’ this year, especially on the road. If the Bills can get Cooper going, it should open up opportunities for others. Perhaps Cooper is the missing ingredient that will have everybody eating again.
Limit the run
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It’s no secret that the Titans’ passing game has struggled this year, but one constant for them has been the play of running back Tony Pollard. He’s coming off games of 88 and 93 rushing yards, respectively. He’s averaging over four yards per carry and is 18th in the NFL in rushing yards despite already having a bye week. The team will be without RB Tyjae Spears due to injury, so it should be the Pollard show.
If the Bills can limit the Titans’ ground game, it should force Levis into uncomfortable third-and-longs. The idea of playing against a young QB who is turnover prone should have Bobby Babich’s defense foaming at the mouth.
Report: Amari Cooper will make Bills debut against the Titans
It appears Amari Cooper will not need an extra week to get ready to make his Buffalo Bills debut.
The Pro Bowl wide receiver landed in Buffalo via a trade with the Cleveland Browns this week. That was just a few days ahead of the Bills (4-2) hosting the Tennessee Titans (1-4) in Week 7.
According to FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz, Cooper will be making his debut with his new team right away on Sunday:
Sources: #Bills WR Amari Cooper is expected to play Sunday vs the #Titans.
HC Sean McDermott previously said no decision had been made, but I’m told Cooper plans to make his Buffalo debut at home — in front of Bills’ Mafia. https://t.co/IRG8Mdxl3upic.twitter.com/jocIg8P0QQ
In six games this season, Cooper has caught 24 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns with the Browns.
Cooper could begin his Bills career in a limited role, but just being on the field for a set package of plays will help give Buffalo’s offense a dynamic they have not had at all in 2024.
The Cleveland Browns expect their star RB Nick Chubb to return from injury in Week 7. How will this impact Pittsburgh moving forward?
One of Pittsburgh’s AFC North rivals is growing more formidable, as the Cleveland Browns expect star RB Nick Chubb to return from injury in Week 7.
Just over 13 months ago, Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick delivered a touchdown-saving hit on Chubb. What seemed like a routine stop for Pittsburgh’s hard-hitting defense turned into a nightmare as Chubb was carted off the field in visible pain.
Upon review, the injury occurred as Chubb fought off a tackle from Steelers linebacker Cole Holcomb for extra yards. Fitzpatrick, assisting in the stop, went low, leading to severe damage to Chubb’s MCL, ACL, and meniscus in his left knee.
The injury was devastating for Browns fans, and while rivalry runs deep, there’s respect for Chubb’s grueling 13-month rehab to return to the field.
Browns HC Kevin Stefanski told reporters that, despite Nick Chubb’s questionable injury tag for Sunday’s game against the Bengals, the Cleveland running back is expected to play for the first time since he suffered last season’s knee injury. pic.twitter.com/F3XtlAnn0l
Will the Steelers’ AFC North rival’s star player be 100% after such an awful knee injury? Only time will tell, but the future matchups between Pittsburgh and Cleveland have certainly grown in difficulty for the Steelers.
