Getty Amari Cooper celebrates a touchdown.
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper had a memorable end to his busy week, turning in a big debut just days after driving three hours down I-90 to join his new team.
Cooper joined the Bills through a trade with the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday, joining the team on a short week. He had a big performance in the team’s 34-10 win over the Tennessee Titans, making four catches for 66 yards and a touchdown.
After the game, the steady veteran delivered a six-word statement about the hectic week.
“Just another day at the office,” Cooper said.
Amari Cooper’s Fast Study
Though Cooper drove from Cleveland to Buffalo shortly after the trade was completed, he still had just four days to learn the team’s offense. After a slow start to his day on Sunday, dropping his first pass, Cooper quickly settled in and became one of the team’s top targets. His first catch was a 12-yard touchdown with just over 10 minutes in the third quarter, giving the Bills their first lead of the game.
Amari Cooper’s first catch AND first touchdown as a Buffalo Bill!
He earned some big praise from Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who said Cooper showed off his professionalism by jumping into the offense after just a few days with the team.
“I think being seven years in the league now, just like understanding guys of [Cooper’s] caliber, they don’t need a lot,” Allen said. “They go out there, give him a clear mind, let him go play. That’s what he did out there a couple times, just finding zones, finding windows. He made a really good catch on that slant. But, again, just the professionalism that he has, the ability that he has, just trusting what I see with him, and things will turn out pretty good.”
Bills head coach Sean McDermott also took note of Cooper’s hard work this week to learn the offense and get prepared for Sunday’s game.
“It’s good to have [Cooper] here. He made an impact just in four days, really, four teachable, learnable days,” coach Sean McDermott said. “And then to come out on day five here and execute like he did was impressive.”
Big Opportunities in Buffalo
The Bills came into the season with no clear No. 1 at wide receiver, trading Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans and losing Gabe Davis in free agency. Though the team adopted an “everybody eats” philosophy of spreading the ball to a talented group of receivers, the pass-catchers struggled at times.
Cooper, the five-time Pro Bowler who had 72 catches for 1,250 yards and five touchdowns last season, could become that new No. 1 for the Bills. The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia wrote that Cooper’s big debut is just a glimpse of what he could bring to the team’s offense.
“The Bills clearly knew they needed someone like Cooper, and it led to immediate dividends even with a small sample,” Buscaglia wrote. “Cooper’s four catches for 66 yards and a touchdown was a snippet of his entire skill set. He showed his proficiency against zone, sitting in an open area with correct spacing for Allen to locate. And then, against man coverage, he ran a slant route that resulted in an excellent off-body catch for a first down.”
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Bills WR Amari Cooper Delivers 6-Word Statement on Big Debut