CLEVELAND, Ohio — Through the first two weeks of the season, Deshaun Watson and Amari Cooper haven’t been on the same page, and it’s a big reason the Browns have averaged 16.5. points a game en route to their 1-1 mark.
In the 33-17 loss to the Cowboys in the opener, Cooper caught only 2 of 9 targets for 16 yards, but several of those were throwaways, and others were either errant passes by Watson or miscommunications between QB1 and WR1. Cooper also dropped a sure TD pass in the fourth quarter, a ball he can catch blindfolded.
During Sunday’s 18-13 victory over the Jaguars, a wide-open Cooper dropped another sure TD pass, this time at the 15 on third down, and one that would’ve doubled the Browns lead at 14-0 with 9:57 left in the half. Instead, the Browns settled for a 53-yard Dustin Hopkins field goal. All told, Cooper caught 3 of 8 targets for 11 yards, for a two-game total of 5 of 17 for 27 yards and no TDs.
He didn’t catch a ball until the third quarter, and had another drop in the fourth. But Stefanski and Watson aren’t concerned it’s a trend.
“Small sample size,” Stefanski said on his video conference Monday. “I’ve seen it click with those two guys many times, so we’ll just keep working.”
After the game, Watson downplayed the disconnect.
“Sometimes it takes time and it depends on how the defense is going to scheme against certain situations, but when those opportunities come, we got to capitalize and that’s from both of us,” Watson said. “But there’s nothing to get frustrated with. That’s part of the game. And once we find our way, we can be very explosive.”
Stefanski also dismissed it after the game.
“Coop’s a pro,” he said. “He’ll be just fine.”
Cooper, the subject of swap rumors with 49ers Brandon Aiyuk during training camp, graded out lowest among Browns receivers 46.0 grade, and tied for 18th out of 21 offensive players, ahead of only running back Pierre Strong Jr. and left tackle James Hudson III, according to Pro Football Focus. Jerry Jeudy was first with an 80.8 mark, and David Bell, who’s out for the season with a disclosed hip that needs surgery, was second at 78.7
Cooper, credited with three drops by PFF, has also tumbled to 83rd in the NFL among receivers with a 48.5 grade, far below his 79.9 from last season for 21st in the NFL, and 81.2 in 2022 for 14th.
Cooper, who had instant chemistry last year with Joe Flacco, wasn’t interviewed after the game, and his regular interview day in the locker room isn’t until Thursday. Did the trade rumors get to him? Is it something else?
He didn’t participate in the offseason workout program and held out of mandatory minicamp in his contract dispute, but it’s unknown if that had an impact.
General consensus is that Cooper, a five-time Pro Bowler, will be back to himself soon.
Guess who got a game ball despite a bad mistake?
For Kevin Stefanski, the good outweighed the bad when it came to Watson, and he awarded him a game ball despite a mistake at the end that could’ve cost the Browns the game.
Facing a third and 6 from the Jacksonville 38 with 1:37 remaining, Watson was under siege on a short pass to Cedric Tillman, and made the ill-advised pass before Josh Hines-Allen hit him. The play cost the Browns 40 seconds, which would’ve evaporated had he taken the sack. Instead, he gave Trevor Lawrence a cushy 87 seconds to move downfield from his 10 and get the ball in the end zone. He nearly pulled it off. Competing passes of 22 and 28 yards and scrambling for 12, Lawrence launched the Hail Mary pass with eight seconds left, and it fell incomplete in the end zone, with Ronnie Hickman and Martin Emerson Jr. converging on the ball and helping to bail out their QB.
After the game, Stefanski acknowledged that he “got mad” at Watson, but got over it. On Monday, he showed his appreciation.
“Deshaun got a game ball,” he said. “I mean, he played well. He helped us win that game. Obviously, that play wasn’t exactly how we wanted it to go, but he’s a battler. That, I think, is very evident.”
David Njoku not ruled out yet
Njoku’s sprained ankle was originally expected to keep him out at least a couple of weeks, but Stefanski wasn’t ready to rule him on Monday for the Giants game here on Sunday.
“It’s a week-to-week injury, so we’ve got to get through the next couple days to have a better sense,” he said.
While Watson to connect with Cooper, it would help to have his other top target in Njoku on the field.
