The team elevated offensive lineman Will Clapp and defensive end Casey Toohill from the practice squad for Sunday’s game in Foxborough. Wide receiver Amari Cooper has been downgraded to out. He will not travel and has been excused for a personal family matter, via Buffalo Bills PR.
Cooper has recorded 20 catches on 32 targets for 297 yards and two touchdowns in eight appearances for the Bills. They are also 7-1 since he was traded from the Cleveland Browns in October.
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While it’s been difficult for Cooper to find a consistent rhythm with Josh Allen in the offense, there have been some occasional flashes that suggest that the veteran wideout will become crucial during the playoffs. Cooper and Allen connected on a 30-yard touchdown in Week 17 against the New York Jets.
“I’ve ran that route hundreds of times at this point. Generally, when the corner doesn’t bite on it, the quarterback just comes off of you and throws it somewhere else,” said Cooper, via Newsweek. “When I saw that the corner didn’t bite, I was just like, I wasn’t jogging, but I was like, okay, he’s going to come off of me, and something told me, okay, he’s about to throw it. I kind of sped up a little bit, and it was just a routine catch, really, as far as like, high-pointing the ball.”
“That’s the type of quarterback he is, Cooper continued about Allen. He’s going to give you an opportunity. Every quarterback isn’t that way for some reason, but I am grateful for that.”
The Bills are a very balanced team offensively, and Allen is more than comfortable with spreading the football around to fellow wide receivers Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Mack Hollins and Curtis Samuel. That is a trend that will likely continue in the next couple of weeks.