ORCHARD PARK — Amari Cooper has been a difference maker everywhere he’s been.
Whether it’s high school, college and a decade in the NFL, Cooper has always been a focus of his team’s offense. The five-time Pro Bowler was acquired by the Buffalo Bills six games into the season to cure what was perceived to be an ailing receiver group.
A wrist injury stunted his growth after a promising start with the Bills, but he seemed to make flashy plays every time Josh Allen threw in his direction. Cooper had four catches for 66 yards and a touchdown in his Bills debut, he made two huge catches against the Kansas City Chiefs and caught six passes for 95 yards in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
But at a time when it seemed like the Bills might be increasing his role in the offense, he’s become an afterthought. Cooper didn’t have a target in 32 plays and the Bills still scored 48 points against the Detroit Lions, and in two playoff games, Cooper has four targets, two catches and 8 yards.
Cooper has played fewer snaps (48) than any receiver on the active roster during the playoffs, but that doesn’t seem to be bothering him.
“I’m very satisfied,” Cooper said Wednesday. “I’ve never been this far in the playoffs. Obviously every receiver wants to have 10-20 catches a game. But that’s not always how the cookie crumbles. And it’s not always the most beneficial thing for the team, force-feeding one guy the ball just for the sake of that. Winning is obviously way more important.”
The Bills have taken a different approach to winning those games recently, using Allen’s right arm to hand off more than to throw downfield. In the first eight games after trading for Cooper — even the two he missed — Allen averaged 34 passing attempts per game, but since his historic two-game bender that saw Allen throw for 702 yards and five touchdowns, the Bills haven’t attempted 30 passes in a game since.
Coach Sean McDermott said Cooper’s use was based on the game plan and the Bills like to use Mack Hollins more often in run-specific packages. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady has frequently stated he needs to do a better job of incorporating Cooper, but also that his presence on the field impacts how the defense rolls its coverage.
In 137 attempts with Cooper on the field, Allen is completing 73% of his passes for 1,327 yards and nine touchdowns. Allen has attempted 162 passes with Cooper active and off the field, completing 60.5% of his passes for 1,128 yards and eight touchdowns.
“Watch out on the field where the DBs are when Amari is in the game,” Brady said. “… We didn’t pass the ball a lot (against the Ravens), and, I think sometimes, that’s a product of it. Coop’s doing a great job for us. He’s part of our group that makes our group kind of who they are, and he’s leading it, and he doesn’t care about the stats right now, and he knows that him being on the field helps our offense.”
Part of Cooper’s mindset comes from playing for talent-rich teams in the past. His high school, Miami Northwestern, has produced over 40 NFL players, including eight players currently active in the league.
He won a national championship at Alabama in 2012, and even though he was an immediate contributor, there were still plenty of talented players on the roster. That Alabama team had 24 future NFL players, including five receivers, and it helped him understand the differences between a good team and a championship team.
“First of all, the team doesn’t really need you here,” Cooper said. “You have so many players that are doing their job, that they can get the job done without you. So that’s kind of where the ego dies and the pride is put aside for the sake of the team. … When everybody is doing their job, that’s how you win a championship.”
Before coming to Buffalo, Cooper had plenty of individual success and he surpassed 10,000 career yards late in the season. But he had only been to the playoffs four times in his first nine seasons, with one win.
Cooper’s contract expires at the end of the season, and at 30, where he goes and how much money he will command is unknown. But Cooper does know that he might not get another chance to play for a Super Bowl.
“It’s like you can taste it,” Cooper said. “This is what you dream of. I’ve had tremendous years in the league, Pro Bowls and all those things. But none of them will amount to winning that last game.”