Did you see Amari Cooper’s big game for the Buffalo Bills on Sunday against Seattle?
Neither did I.
Sure, the Bills stomped the Seahawks 31-10 on the road and have an unbelievable 3½-game lead in the AFC East, but allow me to critique Cooper for a second. Because the well-traveled star wide receiver said he was “definitely ready for an increased role — that’s why they traded for me” after going for four catches, 66 yards, and a touchdown in his team debut Oct. 20.
On Sunday, Cooper’s snap count doubled — from a mere 19 to 38 — yet he finished the day with a grand total of one reception for three yards on two targets.
In a twist of irony, on that other target, Cooper was to blame for Josh Allen’s first interception of the season. He targeted Cooper on a slant route; Cooper tripped, and the ball sailed right into a cornerback’s hands.
In the Wide Receivers Arms Race of 2024, where DeAndre Hopkins, Davante Adams, and Cooper have all changed uniforms and more could follow before the Nov. 5 trade deadline, your mileage may vary on which guys will actually star for their new teams. (I warned that chasing Adams would be a fool’s errand for the lousy New York Jets earlier this month.)
But any teasing aside, I’m not saying that the Bills’ deal for Cooper was a poor idea. In fact, he was a bargain: the Bills only inherited $806,667 of remaining salary on Cooper’s expiring contract, according to Spotrac. Buffalo is going to come out a big winner, even if Cooper himself doesn’t have exciting stat lines that help him get his next contract.
Here’s what Cooper really did to help the Bills on Sunday: He opened up the field for his teammates.
The threat of Cooper as a top-tier NFL receiver pulled some defenders’ attention away from Khalil Shakir and rookie Keon Coleman, who had career highs of nine and five catches, respectively.
Shakir, a short and speedy weapon I’ve always liked, racked up 107 yards and is already approaching career-high totals across the board halfway through his third NFL season. Coleman, the 33rd pick in April’s draft, followed a 125-yard game last week against Tennessee with 70 yards and a score at Seattle. They have the team’s only two 100-yard receiving performances of the year to date.
Allen probably doesn’t get enough credit for elevating the level of his pass-catchers, but after Buffalo traded away Stefon Diggs, the team’s receiver corps was pretty anonymous. Give opposing defenses just one more thing to think about, and it springs guys like Shakir, Coleman, and the tight ends.
“As the season goes on everyone starts to understand what their role is. That’s a part of the game,” Shakir said. “… But I always say this: At any point in that receiver room, anybody’s number can get called on any given play and make a play. Our room is so dynamic, and I truly believe it’s one of the best in the NFL.”
Where does that leave Cooper, whose fantasy football managers aren’t nearly as happy as the Bills’ front office today?
Even though he’s gone from playing with Deshaun Watson to Allen, I personally wouldn’t bet on Cooper having the kind of explosive games he had after the Raiders traded him to the Cowboys during the 2018 season. First, he needs to play more than 50 percent of the offense’s snaps, which, in fairness, may be around the corner. But he’s a guy who has had hot-and-cold seasons in the past.
Cooper, 30, will be a free agent in 2025. As he thinks toward the future and wonders who his next team will be, of course it makes sense that he’d agitate for a bigger role in the Buffalo offense — he’s trying to secure one more bag. The Bills don’t necessarily need to give that role to him.
So while the Bills are predestined for another playoff berth, I’m interested to see how the offense looks from week to week on their way there, and if Cooper “understands what his role is,” outgrows it, or begins to express dissatisfaction.
