Buffalo Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper played a central role in the team’s offense during a 44-42 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on December 8, receiving a team-high 14 targets and hauling in six catches for 95 yards. Since joining the Bills in a midseason trade, Cooper seemed to be developing a strong connection with quarterback Josh Allen and carving out a significant role. However, just a week later, Cooper’s involvement in the offense took a sharp decline—he received zero targets in a 48-42 win over the Detroit Lions.
Despite the stark drop in production, Cooper shared an unexpectedly positive perspective after the game, revealing why he wasn’t discouraged by the change in his role.
Amari Cooper Remains Unfazed
In an interview with The Buffalo News, Cooper expressed that he wasn’t bothered by the sudden shift in his involvement and was simply happy to be on a winning team. Cooper, who began the season with the Cleveland Browns before being traded to Buffalo at the deadline, described his experience with the Bills as “absolutely amazing.”
“I’ve been waiting my whole life to be on a team like this,” Cooper said. While he acknowledged that as a receiver, he naturally wants more targets, he emphasized that his priority is winning.
“Obviously, I’m a receiver. Every receiver wants the ball,” he said. “But, I mean, I’m in Year 10. What’s most important to me is winning. And I think we definitely have the formula.”
Cooper even found a positive spin on his lack of targets in the Lions game, saying, “I think it’s actually kind of cool, like going from 14 targets to zero targets, and we win, we beat a great team, actually a potential matchup down the road.”
Cooper Explains the Value of a Spread-Out Offense
Cooper further explained why he believes it’s healthy for a team’s top receiver to have a game with minimal targets. He explained that spreading the ball around makes the offense more difficult to defend.
“It’s so much pressure when you’re the guy that everybody knows is getting the ball,” Cooper said. “And pressure is a good thing. But also, in that situation, everybody knows what’s coming, and it makes the offense more predictable, making it easier to stop.”
Since joining the Bills in October, Cooper has caught 16 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns, nearly matching his production from his first six games with the Browns.
Praise from Teammates
Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir offered praise for Cooper’s selfless attitude, highlighting the positive example he sets for the rest of the team.
“It’s pretty crazy, because you have a guy that’s at the top of our position,” Shakir said. “A freak of nature in everything that he does. And for him to say that, it shows that he’s really bought into everything we’re trying to accomplish here.”
The Bills entered the season emphasizing an “everybody eats” philosophy, focusing on spreading the ball more evenly across the offense after the departures of top receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. This strategy has paid off, with nine players accumulating at least 200 receiving yards and 12 players scoring a receiving touchdown. Allen himself got involved in the action, catching a lateral from Cooper after a reception and running it in for a touchdown. The team’s balanced offensive approach is already showing dividends, and Cooper’s unselfish mindset has been an important part of that success.
