Cleveland Browns combination of QB Jacoby Brissett, WR Amari Cooper growing game-by-game
CLEVELAND − The timing was perfect.
Amari Cooper, lined up to the left as the Browns faced a third-and-1 from their own 29, ran off the cornerback and then broke to the inside about 20 yards downfield. Jacoby Brissett, meanwhile, made a play fake to the left and rolled slightly to the right in the pocket before releasing the pass downfield.
After that, it was a simple pitch and catch. Cooper pulled in the pass and turned up field, being cut down by the same cornerback, Cameron Sutton, who he had twisted around with his earlier cut to the middle at the Pittsburgh Steelers 39.
“It was what we practiced," Cooper said of the 32-yard completion. "We knew what type of look we would get in that situation, and it just worked out how we practiced it. I was patient, ran my route and got open.”
That play, which set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Nick Chubb, speaks to the bond that has already developed between the receiver always expected to be the No. 1 option and the quarterback who is taking advantage of his chance to be the No. 1 option. That pass was one of 11 thrown to Cooper during the Browns' Thursday night win over the Steelers, and one of seven he caught, gaining 101 yards in the process.
In the two games the Browns played in a five-day stretch last week against the New York Jets and Steelers, Brissett targeted the four-time Pro Bowler 21 times. Cooper, meanwhile, has caught 16 of those passes for 202 yards with two touchdowns.
All of that after just six targets and three catches in the opener at Carolina. In fact, the two biggest plays Cooper may have been involved with included drawing a pass interference flag in the end zone to set up the Browns' first touchdown, and a 9-yard catch to set up the game-winning 58-yard field goal against the Panthers.
“He played really well, even in the first game – he was just getting [interfered with] the whole time," Brissett said. "That is just who he is. He is a great player, a great teammate, a guy who is going to give you his all. You see the things that he is doing obviously in the pass game, but in the run game, he is holding his own. You don’t see that a lot from a lot of No. 1 receivers. I am sure he is going to want to continue to get better and better."
Brissett, who's own stock has shot up in the past two games, would be the one to know well. The quarterback and his top receiver have taken it upon themselves to put in the work to develop the chemistry needed to unlock all of the potential that could exist between the two players.
That opportunity was delayed a bit before Brissett was truly given the keys to the first-team offense in mid-August. The the first game reps the two had together came on the first snap of the season opener, since Cooper did not play in the one preseason game in which Brissett did.
The two, though, have done everything they can to make up for lost time so that, come Sundays (and an occasional Thursday or Monday), the synergy is there to open things up.
“We go out there and practice hard and on our own time," Cooper said. "We are always communicating, even outside of the building because we know at the end of the day, we are responsible for how we are playing. Jacoby and I are both from South Florida so it is easy to relate to him. He is a cool person and a really fun guy to be around. The communication is there so we just want to build off of what we have been achieving so far.”
Need evidence? Listen to what Brissett had to say about Cooper's mindset after the 32-yard catch in the fourth quarter.
"Even on the long pass on that big third down, he was like, ‘Man, I need to find a way to stay up and go score,’" Brissett said. "That is just the type of player he is. It is obviously a treat to have him on this team. I am looking forward to just continuing to grow with him.”
Brissett's growth within the Browns' offense, specifically within the passing offense, has coincided with Cooper's emergence. A seven-year pro, Brissett completed 18 of 34 passes for just 147 yards in the opener.
The past two games, Brissett has completed 43 of 58 for 449 yards with three touchdowns and just one interception, which was thrown in a final-seconds desperation drive against the Jets.
Jacoby Brissett has had stretches of consistency against the Steelers and Jets
In the loss to the Jets, Brissett completed 16 of his first 17 passes, with the one incompletion an overturned touchdown pass to Donovan Peoples-Jones. In the win over the Steelers, he had a stretch in the second and third quarters when he completed 13-of-14, including 10 in a row, with the only incompletion being an overturned catch by Cooper on fourth-and-2 from the Steelers 31.
The one incompletion occurred when the ball seemed to be jarred loose when Cooper's elbow hit the ground as he had to lunge for the ball. Brissett was also facing pressure in his face from the Steelers' Robert Spillane, requiring him to almost jump up to release the pass.
Even though, Brissett knew he could count on Cooper at least being in the vicinity of where the ball was being thrown. That's the work together showing itself.
"I think you are seeing it in games," coach Kevin Stefanski said. "That is a product of a lot of work. I know you guys leave after individual period [of practice], but I can promise you, they get a ton of work off to the side, both during an offensive period and when it is special teams, they are over there and Amari is running full-speed routes. That is a product of hard work with those guys.”
Contact Chris at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com.
On Twitter: @ceasterlingABJ
Browns at Falcons
Time: 1 p.m. Sunday
TV: CBS
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns combination of Jacoby Brissett, Amari Cooper growing together
