Getty Wide receiver Amari Cooper of the Cleveland Browns.
The Cleveland Browns offense is firing under the leadership of QB Joe Flacco, and Amari Cooper has a message for the rest of the NFL as the eve of the regular season and the dawn of the playoffs approach.
The wide receiver put up a franchise record 265 yards on Sunday, December 24, against the Houston Texans, becoming the second wideout (Terrell Owens) in league history to log 200-plus receiving yards with three different teams.
Following the Week 16 win, Cooper made a declaration that applies to every opponent the Browns will, or might, face down the stretch and into the postseason.
“Every time I step on the field, I try to put forth my best effort. I do truly feel like I’m unguardable,” Cooper told reporters after the game. “You know it’s all about opportunities, and I had a lot of opportunities today, so I was able to take advantage of them.”
Amari Cooper Gives Joe Flacco Significant Credit for Record Game vs. Texans
GettyCleveland Browns receiver Amari Cooper is putting together another Pro Bowl-type season in 2023 with the help of quarterback Joe Flacco.
Cooper hasn’t just been an outstanding performer with the Browns. He has also been the consummate teammate since arriving in Cleveland.
The four-time Pro Bowler displayed that quality again following his ridiculous showing against the Texans, crediting Flacco with the majority of his success Sunday afternoon.
“To be completely candid, I would attribute most of it to Joe,” Cooper told Kelsey Russo of ClevelandBrowns.com on Christmas Eve. “He has an incredible feel for the game. He has an incredible arm. I think, obviously, with the relationship between a receiver and a quarterback, it’s a symbiotic relationship. The best way to explain it is that we mesh well together.”
Cooper produced 1,160 yards and 9 touchdowns on 78 receptions last year while catching passes from Jacoby Brissett and Deshaun Watson. The wideout now has 72 grabs for 1,250 yards and 5 scores through 15 games in 2023, per Pro Football Reference. A total of 25 catches, 485 yards and 3 this season touchdowns have come off the hand of Flacco.
Cooper has accumulated those statistics over just the last four games, one of which (Week 12 against the Los Angeles Rams) he exited early due to an injury.
Browns QB Joe Flacco Playing ‘Elite’ Football During 3-Game Win Streak
GettyQuarterback Joe Flacco of the Cleveland Browns has been elite over the past three weeks.
Cleveland boasts one of the hottest offenses in football, playing at the top of its game at the perfect time. The Browns have won three consecutive contests, moving to 10-5. Flacco and company can clinch a playoff berth next week against the quarterback’s old team, the New York Jets.
The 38-year-old Flacco has been resurgent over the winning streak, and an argument can even be made that the quarterback has been elite based on his numbers combined with the Browns’ success.
Joe Flacco the last 3 weeks:
81/132
1,053 YDS
8 TDS
3 wins
Elite.
“Joe Flacco the last 3 weeks: 81/132 [passing], 1,053 yards, 8 TDs, 3 wins,” Barstool posted to X. “Elite.”
Talk is already swirling about whether the Browns can bring Flacco back in 2024 and whether they should replace Watson with Flacco permanently. Those conversations are for down the line, however, as both the franchise and its quarterback have said the sole focus is on getting into the playoffs and making a run.
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Browns WR Amari Cooper Sends Candid Warning After Record Game