WR Amari Cooper (11.2.23)

How nice is it to see Deshaun (Watson) back out there yesterday? 

“It’s real nice. He’s throwing the ball real smooth, like he’s coming off of his shoulders with a lot more ease. So it feels good to have him back out there.”

 

Do you think it’s trending toward him being out there Sunday? 

“Who knows? Man, you got to ask four (Deshaun Watson) that question.”

 

I figured you were a little closer to the scene, so I’d ask you. 

“He’s closer.”

 

What’s this kind of been like the last – I know we talked every week, but this month of not knowing who’s going to be the quarterback and just not having your guy out there. Just how hard has that been for the whole team? 

“It’s a challenge just like any other challenge that’s presented to us. Obviously, we got to adapt to any situation that’s presented to us. But, yeah, it’s hard. I mean, we know that four is our guy. We know that he’s a playmaker and all those things, so we would love to have him out there every chance that we get, but unfortunately, the cookie doesn’t always crumble that way. Injuries are part of the game and just waiting on him to get healthy.”

 

Do you have any words for P.J. Walker after the way that game in Seattle ended? 

“Do I have any words?”

 

Yeah, did you say anything to him?

“Yeah, I mean we are constantly communicating about what we see, about some of our errors, about some of our successes, and we try to go out there and make everything work. So, yeah, we talked out the game about some of the plays for sure.”

 

So I noticed when you guys were breaking the huddle for the goal line, you said something to him and then on that play he threw to you, you were covered, pass was incomplete. What did you say to him as you were breaking the huddle? 

“I don’t remember which play you’re talking about.”

 

And it was before a field goal, down near the goal line. 

“We played a lot of plays in the game, so I don’t remember that one.”

 

The receiving core is going to look different after the trade deadline. Your thoughts on that? And could somebody like Cedric (Tillman) step in and give you guys a boost here the second half of the season? 

“Yeah, I mean, obviously during this time, a lot of trades happen. Yeah, it’s always the next man up mentality. We believe in the guys in our room to step up and make plays for us.”

 

We haven’t seen Cedric really since training camp and you’ve seen him at practice. What are your thoughts on how he’s looking and do you feel like he’s ready to step into a bigger role? 

“Yeah, I mean, since Ced has got here, I think his practice habits have been real good. He’s making a lot of plays, especially in the jump ball situations. He learns fast, he’s diligent in his approach to the game, studying and all those things. It just has to translate to the game, right? That’s it.”

 

What was your feeling when DPJ (Donovan Peoples-Jones0 got traded, when you found out?

“Yeah, again. You know, the trades are just a part of the game. I’ve been traded twice, so I know how the process is. But, yeah, I was obviously sad. We communicated about that. I texted him, told him good luck and things like that. I’m going to miss him. We went into battle together for a year and a half. So, I consider him my brother, for sure.”

 

How challenging is that, being traded in the middle of the season like you were from Oakland to Dallas?

“It all depends on the person. It all depends on the situation, the scenario. Some guys look forward to that happening. They try to turn over a new leaf and feel like they could be much better in the new situation. So, I would say it all depends on the circumstance.”

 

Amari, how much do you think the quarterback uncertainty has held back this offense? 

“I don’t know. It’s a hard question to answer. I don’t quite recall right off of the bat our record. I don’t know. I know our record. I’m saying with Deshaun out and guys having to step in, I don’t know our record, but I think we can definitely improve on the offensive side of the ball overall. We’ve been turning the ball over a lot, so, I mean, regardless of who’s back there, the goal is still the same, especially the number one goal, and that’s to not turn a ball over at all. So that’s my answer.”

 

Amari, even with Deshaun in there for the games he’s played, you’re the only receiver who has a touchdown. One touchdown, seven games. That’s got to be something you never saw coming. 

“Obviously, as a receiver group, you want guys to be lighting up the scoreboard, scoring every game, but again, that’s just not the way the cookie crumbles. I think we’ve done a lot of great things on offense. We had a lot of successes, third down conversions, things of that nature, first downs. Doesn’t always – the drive don’t always end with the receivers scoring, unfortunately.”

 

So what’s it like getting signed gloves from Randy Moss? And what are you going to do with them? 

“I’m going to sell that – no, I’m playing [laughing]. Obviously, keep them, put them in my office at home or something like that. Frame them. Definitely going to show them off, for sure.”

 

Amari, when you look at Arizona, what do they present to you that’s unique, that makes it a challenging defense to pass against? 

“Yeah, I mean, from what I’ve seen, they’re very opportunistic on defense. They’re always making plays in the pivotal part of the game. Like, even though they’re, I believe, what, 1-7 or 1-6, 1-7, they’ve been ahead in almost every game that they’ve played. They’ve only not been ahead in one game. So, they’re very competitive, and you can see that from the defense. They’re making plays all over the field, keeping the team in the game. So, it’s going to present a challenge to us for sure. We know that it’s going to be a dogfight. It’s going to be a four-quarter game. So just got to go out there and seize the moment.”

 

Are those the tougher games when you’re playing a team that doesn’t have a really good record, but when you actually watch the tape, they’re playing hard, they’re playing well in a lot of respects without getting the results?

“Yeah. I mean, generally, those types of situations when a team isn’t when a team is playing okay, but their record isn’t really showing it, you can kind of pinpoint those sudden failures. It usually comes down to a couple of plays in the game where they just didn’t take advantage of the moment, and that’s what I’m seeing from them. So, they can always just flip that switch on us, so we got to be prepared for that, for sure.”

 

Is Budda (Baker) one of those safeties you’re always keeping an eye on out there? 

“Yeah, 100%. I mean, he’s a playmaker. He has zero regard for his body it seems like, but, yeah, I played him a couple of times. He’s always making plays. He’s always all over the field, both in the run game and in the pass game. He can really disrupt the game if you allow him to. So, he’s definitely one to look out for.”

 

You guys preach taking care of a couple more you guys preach taking care of the ball in practice for the offense. What does that look like for you guys? When you really want to make sure you’re not giving those turnovers over, especially when you’re preparing for the Cardinals? 

“Yeah, you got to drill it just like everything else. We preach ball security, especially in the receiver room. We say ball security always starts at the catch point, so as soon as we catch the ball, we’re kind of taking care of it until that whistle is blown.”

 

 

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