Amari Cooper has been everything the Cleveland Browns could have hoped for when they acquired him from the Dallas Cowboys this offseason. Cooper has been the playmaking No. 1 wide receiver the offense needed, showcasing that in Thursday's win over the Pittsburgh Steelers with his seven catches for 101 yards and a touchdown.
Cooper had 100 receiving yards for the second consecutive game, becoming the first Browns player to have 100-plus receiving yards in consecutive games in nine years. The last Browns player to do this was Josh Gordon -- back in 2013.
"I didn't know that. I guess that's cool," Cooper said after Thursday's win. "That 100-yard mark is the standard for a receiver to have a good game in everyone else's eyes. I just come out here and do my job. Do what I practice. Do what we practice. Do what the coaches are asking me to do and continue to show I can just get open and be productive for the team."
Cooper has 19 catches for 219 yards and two touchdowns in his first three games. He's on pace for 1,241 yards this season, which would be the most for a Browns pass catcher since Webster Slaughter in 1989. The Dallas Cowboys dumped Cooper to the Browns this offseason in exchange for a 2022 fifth-round pick and a swapping of 2022 sixth-round picks.
So far, the Browns have gotten the ultimate bang for their buck.
"I am trying to find new ways to tell you how impressed I am with No. 2," Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said. "He is really, really smart. He is a great teammate. He runs every route imaginable – slants, go-balls, double moves or you name it. I just think he is so versatile. He is such a big, physical receiver. Trustworthy. I really enjoy No. 2."
Cooper has been a strong security blanket for Jacoby Brissett in the early going. Brissett completed 21 of 31 passes for 220 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions (109.6 rating) in Thursday's win. His chemistry with Cooper has been good, as the Browns offense has been good enough to win football games and keep the team afloat until Deshaun Watson returns.
"We are always communicating, even outside of the building because we know at the end of the day, we are responsible for how we are playing," Cooper said. "Jacoby and I are both from South Florida so it is easy to relate to him. He is a cool person and a really fun guy to be around. The communication is there so we just want to build off of what we have been achieving so far.
"I don't think (Jacoby) would be in the league if he wasn't a good quarterback at this point. He has been in the league a long time. He is a veteran and a good player. We are glad to have him."
