Raiders receiver Amari Cooper has been creating steady separation for a few weeks now. That didn't break him out of a prolonged slump.
Coaches were impressed by Cooper's route running in a Week 5 loss to Baltimore. It only earned two targets and an eight-yard catch. They tried to find No. 89 more often in a Week 6 loss to the L.A. Chargers, though six targets generated five short catches for 28 yards.
Low production stretched through a four-game losing streak, with nine catches for 51 yards. Including stats from to early wins, Coopers season stats (18 catches, 146 yards and a touchdown) were worse than nearly 200 others.
Even that astonishment didn't make Cooper demand the gosh darn football, please. The low-key Cooper attitude: The ball will find me.
It finally did in Thursday night's 31-30 victory over Kansas City. Several times in fact.
Cooper had 11 catches for 210 yards and two touchdowns. He was targeted 19 times. Nineteen. That's no coincidence.
They moved him around, including significant snaps in the slot. He was targeted 11 times from that position, per analytics site Pro Football Focus, and produced six catches for 95 yards and a touchdown.
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They schemed opportunities and quarterback Derek Carr used them to create big plays early.
Carr's first pass went 12-yards to Cooper. His third was a 38-yard touchdown strike. His seventh was an in-stride delivery that Cooper took across and then up the field for a 45-yard score.
Just like that, Cooper was off and running for the first time this year.
"We put him in positions to make plays, obviously," Carr said. "We knew that there were certain things that we liked. Nothing changed in his demeanor or his mentality or the way he worked or anything like that. We just stayed the course. We know what we have here and we know that if we just stay the course and work and grind through the tough times.
"…For ‘Coop' to just continue to grind and get on the other side of it, I just felt good for him. You guys know Amari. I think we all felt good for him."
Cooper said the early explosive touches provided confidence. Ability produced a signature performance. The Alabama product is excellent extending production with his legs, and had 78 of his yards come after the catch. That's an average of 7.1 yards after the catch per reception, per PFF.
His second touchdown reached him 15 yards downfield, and he hit the jets and reached the end zone. He turned a short catch into 15 crucial yards to start the game-winning two-minute drill, and later high pointed a 39-yard receptions.
"The way he finished after the catch was really special," Carr said. "Obviously, we all know he can go up and get a ball and all those things. That second touchdown where he cam across, the burst that he had, that's freakish. Not a lot of guys have that. To turn the jets on like that and just out run the angles of the defense, that was really special. I think just after the catch he just played with some dog in him, which we know he has. We were able to get him the ball and let him shine and do what he does."
Cooper's showcase was vital to a huge victory that kept his team in the hunt. It also ended a rough month where Cooper and the Raiders both struggled. Veteran running mate Michael Crabtree was never concerned with the downturn and told the young receiver to stay the course during tough times.
"(I told him), ‘Just be you,'" Crabtree said. "It's just about everything coming together. Coop's a fighter, man. Coop has got skills. I don't worry about Coop and I'm sure he doesn't worry about me. That's why we are so good together."
