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What have we learned in Week 16? FOX Sports’ staff of NFL writers joined forces to deliver insight and analysis from around the league.
In this weekly story, we’ll tell you what we noticed, what we heard and what to keep an eye on next.
1. Browns WR Amari Cooper remains one of the NFL’s most underrated players
It feels like Amari Cooper gets lost in the shuffle of great NFL receivers.
There’s the superstar group, which includes the likes of Tyreek Hill and Justin Jefferson. Cooper isn’t on that level, but he’s right below them on the second tier of No. 1 receivers — and he has been for years.
His performance in the Browns’ 36-22 victory over the Texans on Sunday was a reminder of that standing. Cooper had 11 catches for a career-best and franchise-record 265 yards and two touchdowns, plus a two-point conversion — the best performance we’ve seen by a receiver in 2023. Entering the final two weeks of the regular season, Cooper ranks sixth in the NFL with 1,250 receiving yards.
On Sunday, he caught four passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns on seven targets with less than a 33% completion probability, the most such yards in a game since at least 2016, according to Next Gen Stats.
That’s a testament to his elite route-running and separation ability, which highlighted a terrific play he made in the third quarter against Houston. With 4:30 left in the period, Cooper ran a comeback route to haul in a fourth-and-8 throw for a toe-tapping conversion. He had just 0.8 yards of separation from the defender and was a half-yard from the sideline when he made the catch, per NGS.
The Browns offense has been ravaged by injuries this season, but in Cooper Cleveland has a No. 1 receiver whom the resurgent Joe Flacco can depend on. Cooper has proven to be consistently productive regardless of the quarterback, team or scheme. The former No. 4 overall pick has had at least 1,000 receiving yards in seven of his nine NFL seasons. He’s had two 1,000-yard seasons with each of…
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Publish date : 2023-12-26 18:47:51
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