Amari Cooper’s Move to Buffalo Pays Off, Despite Lacking Gaudy Stats
Despite failing to produce eye-popping numbers, Amari Cooper’s trade to the Buffalo Bills has brought him his first career trip to the Championship round. Since joining the team in Week 7, Cooper has accumulated 20 catches for 297 yards and two touchdowns, with a mere two catches for eight yards in two playoff games, including no receptions in the last game’s win over Baltimore.
Despite the unremarkable stats, Cooper is content with his new role. “I’m very satisfied. I’ve never been this far in the playoffs,” he said. “Winning is way more important, and there’s many ways to win. So absolutely no complaints from me, because that’s all I truly wanted.”
As a five-time Pro Bowler with the Raiders, Cowboys, and Browns, Cooper was initially brought in to be a go-to target in Buffalo, but he has instead become just one of the crew, with nine players generating 250-plus receiving yards and 13 catching at least one receiving touchdown. However, being a supporting role player for a winner is perfectly fine with him.
Offensive coordinator Joe Brady credited Cooper’s selflessness for helping to make the receiver corps whole, saying, “He’s part of our group that makes our group kind of who they are, and he’s leading it. He doesn’t care about the stats right now, and he knows that him being on the field helps our offense.”
Now, Cooper and the Bills are set to face the back-to-back champion Kansas City Chiefs in the next round, a chance to get to the Super Bowl.