Amari Cooper's presence may do more for the Browns when he isn't catching passes
There are multiple ways players can have an impact on a game. With a wide receiver as dynamic as Amari Cooper, it is clear that catching passes is his primary way of damaging defenses. He did so against the Houston Texans. But Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski knows his presence on the field alone […]
There are multiple ways players can have an impact on a game.
With a wide receiver as dynamic as Amari Cooper, it is clear that catching passes is his primary way of damaging defenses. He did so against the Houston Texans. But Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski knows his presence on the field alone can make all the difference.
"I’ve seen it all when it comes to Amari," Stefanski said Tuesday. "In terms of attention. You can cloud him. You can rotate a safety over the top and cover two. You can take your post safety and lean to him. You can bracket him. So we’ve really seen it all, even on that first play. I mean, it’s quarters. He’s getting bracketed, but he ran through the bracket. So he gets attention, it doesn’t mean that he can’t still win, but it does open up opportunities for all the other players.”
Against Houston, Cooper put together a masterpiece.
The 29-year-old star put together an 11-catch, 265-yard, two-touchdown performance.
Now, with the Browns set to play the New York Jets on Thursday night, the offense could be looking for a similar performance from Cooper.
But even if Joe Flacco and company don't receive the help, a healthy Cooper still makes life easier for everyone else.
"I mean, I’ve said it a million times, he’s an unbelievable player and I think that’s as simple of an answer as it can be," Flacco said of his star receiver. "And it’s just the truth. He’s really good and he makes it go.”
The Browns have one item riding on Thursday's game: A trip to the NFL Playoff.
With the win, Cleveland officially punches its ticket to the NFL's bid dance. With a loss, other things have to break Cleveland's way or the team has to wait another week.
It is also a rivalry game of sorts. It's Flacco's old team. And he wants to have a solid performance against the team that let him sit at home on the couch. It was also a game where Cooper battled with Garrett Willson in a wide-receiver duel of note.
Through it all, however, is Cooper, who has an on-field gravity that can seemingly bend defenses to his will.
Cleveland wouldn't have it any other way.
