Amari Cooper 2019 Outlook

[sasnumberonefan 681]

6 hours ago, 904kc said:

First week of the playoffs coming up. Who's worried about him on the road vs the Bears?

This isn't the Bears of 2018. Blough and Kenny G just torched them on Turkey Day. I think Amari has a huge game on TNF.

[iretirefromfantasy 989]

Just now, sasnumberonefan said:

This isn't the Bears of 2018. Blough and Kenny G just torched them on Turkey Day. I think Amari has a huge game on TNF.

I agree! I doubt you have someone better on your bench with a higher floor and ceiling than Amari.

[iretirefromfantasy 989]

Anyone worried about the dud he can put up since its a road game? I know it's the playoffs but it worries me! I don't want to see 2/16/0 😨

[crotchcrickets 2,784]

2 minutes ago, iretirefromfantasy said:

Anyone worried about the dud he can put up since its a road game? I know it's the playoffs but it worries me! I don't want to see 2/16/0 😨

As an Evans owner as well, I am a weathered veteran when it comes to WR duds 

[lla887 323]

14 minutes ago, iretirefromfantasy said:

Anyone worried about the dud he can put up since its a road game? I know it's the playoffs but it worries me! I don't want to see 2/16/0 😨

Yes.  Road game against a good D.  Cooper hasn’t been strong in these situations.  At least the weather forecast is much better than what he had in the NE game

[iretirefromfantasy 989]

He is going up against college teammates Jackson and Ha hha Clinton Dix, Amari might try to show out in this one.

Edited December 4, 2019 by iretirefromfantasy

[Mmiller186 187]

This is tough but think I'm sitting him tonight. Tough matchup on the road on Thursday night. I hate Thursday night games for fantasy purposes. Must win game to sneak into playoffs. I hope he performs but I can see Chicago coming out strong, they still have a chance to make playoffs as they still get Vikings and Green Bay for division games. As predicted this will probably be a low scoring game.

[dashoe 6,228]

31 minutes ago, Mmiller186 said:

This is tough but think I'm sitting him tonight. Tough matchup on the road on Thursday night. I hate Thursday night games for fantasy purposes. Must win game to sneak into playoffs. I hope he performs but I can see Chicago coming out strong, they still have a chance to make playoffs as they still get Vikings and Green Bay for division games. As predicted this will probably be a low scoring game.

 

The Cowboys played last Thursday so they had a full week to prepare for this game vs the normal short week Sunday game then Thursday game.

[DerrickHenrysCleats 3,806]

44 minutes ago, dashoe said:

 

The Cowboys played last Thursday so they had a full week to prepare for this game vs the normal short week Sunday game then Thursday game.

 

He appears to be healthy. He should get his normal 8 or 9 targets and the bears gave up huge plays to golladay, feel like amaris upside you gotta play him and the cowboys need a win pretty bad too.

[atdharris 226]

I worry about him playing on the road given he has put up several duds when playing away from the dome, but you can't sit him unless you have another top 10 option. 

[iretirefromfantasy 989]

7/104/2 coming in, book it!

[FitzMagic 2,812]

1 minute ago, iretirefromfantasy said:

7/104/2 coming in, book it!

Quite possible. For selfish reasons, I'm hoping for one of those 0/0/0 type of nights with a couple of targets. Usually in the games that they are running the ball more Coop gets force fed targets. Just from observation though. I wouldn't say I've fact-checked it or anything.

Edited December 5, 2019 by FitzMagic

[DerrickHenrysCleats 3,806]

FRISCO, Texas — Amari Cooper is aware of the discrepancy.

The Dallas Cowboys receiver knows he’s averaging more than 3.5 times as many receiving yards in home games as he is on the road this season.

Ask him about it, and he’ll break down the reason by game and statistical category.

 

“I feel like if the targets were the same, the production would be similar,” Cooper told USA TODAY Sports this week. “There’s just always extenuating circumstances. I feel like if I was 100% the whole season — which would never happen — the game plan would be getting the ball early, often.”

Cooper offers explanations not as an excuse or to assuage himself. He is not concerned. Sure, he wants his 35.5 yards per road game production to more closely match the 126.3 yards he’s averaging at home. His 12.63 yards per target at home nearly doubles his 6.66 away.

But Cooper also understands he’s been targeted on average 10 times per game at home and just 5.3 on the road. So he’s not surprised his production varies, nor that five of his seven touchdowns have been in AT&T Stadium's end zones.

Ahead of a Thursday game in Chicago, quarterback Dak Prescott wants to narrow the gap.

“Even that out for sure,” Prescott said Monday. “I didn’t know that (difference). It’s about going on the road and getting it done. ... We’re going to need that going forward, shouldn’t matter if we’re on the road or at home, as we get deep into this thing.”

 

Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett says there’s “not necessarily” a clear reason why Cooper’s production has varied so drastically. Garrett added: “It’s probably a combination of factors.”

Cooper agrees.

When he was held without a catch in Dallas’ 13-9 loss to the Patriots, all-pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore’s coverage was textbook. But neither team produced much by air on a cold, windy and rainy day.

During a 35-27 win in Detroit, Cooper caught three of eight targets for 38 yards. But fellow receivers Michael Gallup and Randall Cobb posted 148 and 115 yards, respectively. Cooper understood drawing coverage from a Pro Bowl corner like Darius Slay while his teammates went off was valuable to the team.

“The reason I don't go to the coaches and say, ‘I want X amount of targets on the road' is I truly feel like we have so many play makers on your offense that I don’t need 10 targets,” Cooper said. “MG can get the job done. Cobb can get the job done. Dak can get it done with his legs. Zeke (Elliott) is back there.”

 

Cooper also has battled injuries to his quad, knee, ankle and heel since training camp. In Detroit, Cooper was limited to 56.2% of offensive snaps in part due to injury. In the 24-22 loss to the Jets, Cooper’s quad ailment sidelined him after just three snaps.

The injuries raise questions beyond his physical availability. Throughout the season, Cooper has regularly been limited in or unable to practice during the week. When that happens, Cooper says, Prescott and coordinator Kellen Moore wonder how wise it is to feature him in a game plan. Cooper, an intentional thinker and speaker, won’t tell Prescott he’s functionally healthy if he’s not sure. And often, Cooper doesn’t know himself by kickoff.

“I’m not the type of person who, if Dak asks me how I feeling, I’ll just say, ‘I’m good,’” Cooper said. “I don’t want him to have that belief of, ‘He’s great—I’ll get it to him,’ if I’m not really great. So sometimes I can’t even say I’m good because I can’t factor in how much my adrenaline will make me feel better.”

The determining factor then often comes on Cooper’s first target, he said. Sometimes, he’s not even Prescott’s first read. But when he’s the best option in the progression and makes a play, then he and Prescott know: Cooper is in the game.

“It’s crazy,” Cooper said of playing through pain. “I got to do some research on that adrenaline.”

 

Ahead of Thursday night’s Cowboys-Bears matchup, Cooper remained on the injury report for his knee but participated fully in practice all week. That surprised him, given his season track record and a bad landing on a somersault catch in last week’s Bills loss. The “shocking pain” was so intense, Cooper couldn’t get up at first. But “it’s healed better than I thought it would,” he said.

So he believes he can contribute as Dallas faces a top-10 passing defense for the third straight week.

The Bears have allowed just 6.13 yards per pass play (fourth best) and 222.2 passing yards per game (ninth). Their defense ranks seventh overall and on third down, allowing a 34.59% conversion rate.

The Cowboys offense stacks up favorably, leading the league with 432.8 offensive yards per game and 305.2 by air. Dallas’ 8.17 yards per pass play ranks best in the league. So, too, does its 48.98% success rate on third down.

All bode well for the Cowboys’ bid to maintain their lead atop the NFC East. So does Cooper’s health, better than it’s been most of the season. And the forecast, albeit windchills in the 20s and 11 mph winds, does not predict pass game-wrecking rain. Now, Cooper will wait to see how often he’s targeted.

“The more opportunities you have in any setting, situation, you’re going to be better off,” Cooper said. “It’s just like basketball: You shoot the ball more, you’re going to have more points. If you only have two shots, then you only score four points.”

[FitzMagic 2,812]

I think he's getting away with less OPI than in the past. That road crowd will call out the refs, so he can only get away with it with a little home cookin'.

[Br0kenB 1,785]

You'd be crazy not to start him tonight. Both teams need this game so badly. Amari is the best receiver on the field. He's going to have to have an excellent game for Dallas to win this game.

[FitzMagic 2,812]

1 minute ago, Br0kenB said:

You'd be crazy not to start him tonight. Both teams need this game so badly. Amari is the best receiver on the field. He's going to have to have an excellent game for Dallas to win this game.

[K197040 1,996]

2 minutes ago, Br0kenB said:

You'd be crazy not to start him tonight. Both teams need this game so badly. Amari is the best receiver on the field. He's going to have to have an excellent game for Dallas to win this game.

I'm not going to overthink it and just stick him in there.  

[Br0kenB 1,785]

1 minute ago, FitzMagic said:

In this game. I'm not really a Robinson guy. And his QB is hot trash.

[Ddam2013 496]

Things I don’t understand:

1: Why/How is he able to practice in full all week and then be limited during the actual game. It seems like a smart coach/GM would limit him during practice and use him during the game instead of the other way around, or I guess they could be simply lying about what “full” is.

2: Why do they go so long just plain ignoring their 2nd best player on offense? The only time they really moved the ball excluding the first drive is when they targeted him.

3: As an Eagles fan I’m sad Garret is (finally) getting fired the last 10 years of mediocrity have been an easy bar to get over and an actual coach may make that a lot harder.

Edited December 6, 2019 by Ddam2013

[iretirefromfantasy 989]

Finally a road game and he produces! The jinx is up. 

[iretirefromfantasy 989]

He’s quietly number 4 in yards this season. Am I the only one that didn’t realize this? 

Michael Thomas 1,290

Chris Godwin 1,121

Mike Evans 1,096

AMARI COOPER 1,054

 

On another note, two receivers same team surpassing 1,000+ yards, is that an NFL record? (Godwin, Evans) Seems like quite the feat. 

 

 

[iretirefromfantasy 989]

I looked deeper into the stats for comparison. 
 

He is 236 yards behind Thomas and he has 40 less receptions than Thomas. If he’s had more volume he would easily be number 1 and it wouldn’t be close! 

[jwilsonxo 122]

1 hour ago, iretirefromfantasy said:

He’s quietly number 4 in yards this season. Am I the only one that didn’t realize this? 

Michael Thomas 1,290

Chris Godwin 1,121

Mike Evans 1,096

AMARI COOPER 1,054

 

On another note, two receivers same team surpassing 1,000+ yards, is that an NFL record? (Godwin, Evans) Seems like quite the feat. 

 

 

 

off the top of my head:

juju/ab

decker/demaryius 2013

cobb/jordy 2014?

boldin/fitz a million times probably

 

not too uncommon tbh but definitely an amazing feat.

 

[dashoe 6,228]

6 hours ago, iretirefromfantasy said:

He’s quietly number 4 in yards this season. Am I the only one that didn’t realize this? 

Michael Thomas 1,290

Chris Godwin 1,121

Mike Evans 1,096

AMARI COOPER 1,054

 

On another note, two receivers same team surpassing 1,000+ yards, is that an NFL record? (Godwin, Evans) Seems like quite the feat. 

 

 

 

 

No it is not an NFL record. The NFL record has been established  by 1000yd wr trios not duos

I would be more impressed if they were on a WINNING team rather than 5-7. I think Thielen and Diggs did it last year on a winning team 😂

[iretirefromfantasy 989]

28 minutes ago, dashoe said:

 

 

No it is not an NFL record. The NFL record has been established  by 1000yd wr trios not duos

I would be more impressed if they were on a WINNING team rather than 5-7. I think Thielen and Diggs did it last year on a winning team 😂

I see the Trios happened 5 times in history. Last time in 2008, Fitz, Boldin and Breaston of the Cardinals.