FRISCO, Texas – The Dallas Cowboys’ passing game has stalled throughout the 2018 season on the road, averaging less than 20 points-per-game. Intangibles seemed to be better for the receivers in week 7 against Washington. Michael Gallup recorded his first NFL touchdown on a 49-yard pass from Dak Prescott. Gallup was able to break off from the corner during a perfectly executed hitch route, leaving the CB behind him and a clear shot to the end zone. Most of his connections with Prescott this season have ended in incompletions, but things started to look up for the young rookie on Sunday along with Allen Hurns. Hurns had a big game, controlling Redskins’ CB Josh Norman on man-to-man coverage throughout the game. He was aggressive on every play and beat Norman on a large percentage of them.
There is now an additional new face to the receiving core, Amari Cooper. Cooper is predominately an outside receiver, with great acceleration speed off the line of scrimmage to make himself available to the quarterback and to open up running lanes for Dallas’ ground game.
It is all smiles around the Cowboys’ World Headquarters in Frisco surrounding Cooper’s trade.
Offensive coordinator, Scott Linehan described Cooper’s versatility as a player, “ We cannot have enough playmakers on the team. He can do the stuff you want on the outside part of the field. He has been versatile in his career. He does not just play one position. He can move around. Has a history of being a big time playmaker all the way from high school days. Knack of making a big play…will give our offense some punch. “
Cooper is a player that will be utilized on the field in several different ways and routes. He has four years experience in the league and is a first round pick caliber player. He proved his worth early on in his NFL career in his smooth and successful transition from college ball at Alabama to the Raiders in the pros, recording two 1,000 yard seasons his first two years in the NFL earning him a role on two pro bowl rosters in 2015 and 2016. During the bye week, he will be working in the facilities and going through consecutive reps with Prescott to gain familiarity with his new QB.
Receiver’s coach Sanjay Lal remarked on Cooper’s remarkable listening skills. Lal relayed that he “asks why we are doing something and why it is better. “ Cooper is an engaged listener and player who wants to know the “why” behind routes in the Cowboys’ offensive scheme. He does not just do something simply because the coaches tell him but he wants to understand the reasoning behind their thought process. He asks for the tape to be rewound, in order to go over every detail. He wants to be a great asset to America’s Team and they are counting on him to be. After all, they gave up a first round pick for the 24-year old receiver.
“ Everyone will be scratching and clawing for snaps. This will help out our team, “ Jason Garrett said.
The Cowboys brought in a brand new receiving core at the conception of the 2018 off-season except Cole Beasley and Terrance Williams, and they have done it again with Cooper in the middle of the regular season. He is another player that will be battling for snaps on Sundays and trying to gain chemistry and connect with Dak on the field. Prescott has faced the challenge of dealing with so many new faces and trying to learn each of their own unique tendencies on routes during the release/start, the stem, and the breakpoint- while also learning the receiver’s speeds on each specific route to gage the force behind the release of the ball. He now has to add another to his list as the Cowboys integrate Cooper into the scheme during the bye week and get him acclimated to the ‘nuances’ in Dallas before facing the Tennessee Titans. It has taken Hurns and Gallup half a season to put the pieces together, find a rhythm with Prescott, and run crisp routes breaking out of coverage from opposing secondaries. The question is, how long will it take for Cooper to find his niche in the Cowboys’ offense? Only time will tell.
