With just one reception for four yards, Sunday was Amari Cooper’s worst game as a professional. The Raiders’ fourth overall draft pick continues to struggle with drops and added two more against the Lions – one a critical drop in the fourth quarter that set up a safety (holding call in the end zone).
One of the most dynamic receivers in the league after the catch, Cooper had only 7 yards-after-catch against Minnesota and wasn’t particularly explosive with his touches in Detroit (4 punt returns, 1 reception).
Cooper doesn’t talk a lot, but his body language doesn’t seem to be what it was a month ago. Whether it’s mental or physical, Cooper appears to be dealing with something and the Oakland Tribune‘s Jimmy Durkin has a theory.
My theory: Amari Cooper is far from 100 percent. Saw him stretching the quad quite a bit. Think it's keeping him from getting separation.
— Jimmy Durkin (@Jimmy_Durkin) November 23, 2015
Cooper wasn’t on the Raiders’ most recent injury reports, but missed practice time after the Steelers game to nurse a bruised quad.
The Raiders travel to Tennessee next week to face the third-ranked pass defense in the league (214 yards allowed per game).
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