Getty Cowboys WR Amari Cooper, QB Dak Prescott
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott responded in kind to star wide receiver Amari Cooper, who publicly voiced frustration over his lack of involvement in Dallas’ high-octane passing offense.
“Yeah, we’re winning, but the defense is playing a huge part in that. We’re not really as explosive as we should be,” Cooper said during a December 23 radio interview on 105.3 The Fan. “We’re not converting a lot of their turnovers into touchdowns. A lot of them are field goals. And I feel like I could be a huge part of that, so that’s what frustrates me.”
It was a diva-like complaint from a famously un-diva-like player — but one Dak could not dispute.
“You want to get the ball to him,” Prescott told reporters on December 23, via the official team website. “You’d much rather have a guy saying that and a guy hungry for the ball than him shying away from it in critical situations or when you need to. Yeah, it’s a balance. We’ve got a lot of playmakers on this team and on this offense, particularly when you’re talking about the receivers — not just those three (Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup) but then Ced (Wilson) and Malik (Turner) behind them and you’ve got two great backs.
“It’s only one ball. He understands that and he does whatever he can to help the team when he’s not getting the ball. But yeah, I would love to get him the ball more, as much as some of the other guys.”
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Join Heavy on CowboysCooper’s Sagging Stats
One year removed from a 92-catch, 1,114-yard campaign, Cooper is pacing to finish short of the 1,000-yard club in 2021. Through 11 starts, the former Pro Bowler has 683 yards and six touchdowns on 53 receptions. He’s fallen behind WR CeeDee Lamb (70-940-6) in the pecking order and perhaps even tight end Dalton Schultz (61-651-5), who’s become a safer blanket for Prescott.
Cooper hasn’t cracked the century mark in any game since Week 8 and has only one TD over that span. He recorded a season-low eight yards on two grabs in last week’s victory over the New York Giants, precipitating his outcry.
The Cowboys still rank first and sixth in total offense and passing offense, respectively, but the unit is struggling on third downs (13th) and, surprisingly, when it reaches the red zone (25th) — two areas Cooper wishes to fix.
“I think I can do more in the red zone if I get some targets. I can do more on third down if I get the targets,” he said on 105.3 The Fan. “To help the offense be what we need to be, I think I can definitely help change that.”
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Get-Right Game?
Dallas’ Week 16 opponent, the Washington Football Team, could be the cure to what ails Cooper and company. Its divisional nemesis is saddled with the league’s third-worst secondary, allowing 260.6 passing yards per game entering Sunday’s showdown at AT&T Stadium.
Cooper tallied five catches for 51 yards and one TD the last time these teams met (Week 14), accounting for roughly 40% of the Cowboys’ net air yards (201) amid a 27-20 victory.
The Cowboys can complete the season sweep of Washington while clinching the NFC East title with a win on Sunday Night Football.
“This is a big game,” owner/general manager Jerry Jones said Friday, December 24 on 105.3 The Fan, via the official team website. “We want to walk out here and we want to win every series. We want to win the series, we want to win the down, we want to win every quarter.”