The Oakland Raiders had another come-from-behind victory this past Monday, as they came back to defeat the Houston Texans 27-20 at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
With the game tied at 20 late in the fourth quarter, quarterback Derek Carr through a screen pass to wide receiver Amari Cooper, and the second-year wideout did the rest, making a few defenders miss and taking it 35 yards to the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.
Up until that catch Cooper had been quiet for most of the game as he had just three catches for 22 yards. Cooper has developed into one of the best playmakers in the NFL though, so it was only a matter of time until he made a difference in the game.
Carr talked about his top receiver after the game, praising him for his knowledge of the game which leads to them being on the same page, via Kyle Martin of Raiders.com:
“He’s got the perfect personality I think, he’s always motivated, he always knows that he’s winning, after every play. If I don’t throw it to him or anything like that, he’s coming back to the huddle, he and I are talking even after run plays… He’s such a smart player, he’s always engaged, and he always knows that at any moment, even if it’s the last play, he can get the football. He stays confident in all of those things and he honestly just comes back to the huddle and plays the mental side of the game.”
Cooper, who had 72 catches for 1,070 yards in his rookie season last year, is on pace to shatter both of those marks as through 10 games he has 62 catches for 900 yards and three touchdowns. The 900 yards ranks fifth in the NFL.
The production of Carr and Cooper, as well as the Raiders other wideout Michael Crabtree, has led to Oakland having the fourth best passing offense in the league at 276 passing yards per game.
