Joe Flacco had a simple message on Cleveland Browns star receiver Amari Cooper following his record-setting day against the Houston Texans.
Flacco and Cooper connected 11 times in the win. Cooper set the Browns franchise single-game record with 265 yards, also snagging a pair of touchdown grabs.
“He’s special,” Flacco said after the win.
The admiration was mutual, with Cooper giving credit to Flacco after his big day.
“I would attribute most of it to Joe. He just has an incredible feel for the game,” Cooper said. “The best way to explain is we mesh well together.”
Cooper is a quiet star but is in the midst of a career year despite catching passes from four different quarterbacks this season. He has already set a new career-high with 1,250 yards this season.
“That’s what they expect of us, go out there and make plays. I’m glad to be doing my job,” Cooper said. “It’s really all about opportunity. The stars have to align. You really never know, it’s any given Sunday.”
Browns QB Joe Flacco Focused on Winning Games
Getty ImagesQuarterback Joe Flacco of the Cleveland Browns.
The 38-year-old Flacco has surely shown that he has something left in the tank. He’s passed for over 300 yards in three consecutive games. Sunday’s dominant 36-22 victory against the Texans was his latest. Flacco passed for 368 yards and a trio of touchdowns. He did have a pair of interceptions but the Texans were not able to capitalize on either.
Flacco is on one of the hottest streaks of his long career but he’s worried about the box score. The only thing that matters to him is winning.
“There’s probably a time in your career when you start to think of those things. And obviously, it’s nice when it happens,” Flacco said of the 300-yard passing performances. “But at this point, I’m so grateful to be in the position to win games. That’s the biggest thing. It really is such a singular focus to win these games. Everything else is secondary.”
The Browns now have a better than 99% chance of making the playoffs at 10-5, per ESPN.
“Keep our eye on the prize. Every week I come up here and then I get on the phone with my family like ‘man, that was a big win’. That’s December football,” Flacco said. “They’re all important.”
Browns Still Dealing With Significant Injuries
Getty ImagesThe Cleveland Browns have been able to battle through some significant injuries.
The Browns have been hammered by injuries this season and a few more popped up against the Texans. The most significant was to kicker Dustin Hopkins, who is likely going to the Pro Bowl. Hopkins was injured on a kick return touchdown by the Texans and was not able to kick the rest of the game.
The Browns also lost cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. to a shin injury. He did not re-enter the game after the injury and the severity is unknown.
Cleveland’s injury list is extensive. Quarterback Deshaun Watson, running back Nick Chubb, offensive tackles Dawand Jones, Jedrick Wills Jr. and Jack Conklin, return-man/receiver Jakeem Grant and safety Rodney McLeod are among the players who are lost for the year.
The Browns also played Sunday’s game against the Texans without safety Juan Thornhill, linebacker Anthony Walker Jr., defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo and safety Grant Delpit.
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Browns QB Joe Flacco Drops 2-Word Message on Amari Cooper