2015 No. 4 overall Amari Cooper is as advertised

August 30, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper (89) runs against Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson (21) during the second quarter in a preseason NFL football game at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Who he’s Beating

Before I talk about how well a player is playing, I want to know who he’s beating in his individual matchups. And from the preseason to now, Cooper has seen some of the elite corners in the NFL and none could stop him. In the third preseason game, the dress rehearsal, he did a number on Patrick Peterson.

He shook him at the line, shook him again at the top of his route, made him miss when he caught ball and dragged him a few yards to end the play. In Week 2 of the regular season, he saw Jimmy Smith and had most of seven catches for 109 yards on him. His day on Smith included a deep ball that Cooper took 68 yards for a touchdown on him.

This past Sunday, his victim was none other than Cleveland Browns corner Joe Haden, arguably the best in the game. Haden started off following him but after getting abused so much, he stopped. Of Cooper’s eight catches for 134 yards, all six of his targets on Haden were caught for 87 yards.

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