Just think what Amari Cooper could do for the Buffalo Bills with a full week of practice.
Cooper, acquired in the middle of last week from Cleveland, had four catches for 66 yards and a touchdown in his debut with Buffalo last Sunday.
He will look to improve on those numbers after a full week of working out with quarterback Josh Allen before the AFC East-leading Bills (5-2) travel to Seattle to meet the NFC West-best Seahawks (4-3) on Sunday.
“It was just another day at the office at the wide receiver position,” said Cooper, a five-time Pro Bowl selection who is in his 10th season in the NFL.
Just having Cooper on the field was of benefit to Allen, who threw for 323 yards in a 34-10 win over the Tennessee Titans last Sunday after averaging just 193 through the first six games of the season with a patchwork receiving corps.
“Guys of (Cooper’s) caliber, they don’t need a lot,” Allen said. “They go out there, give him a clear mind, let him go play. That’s what he did out there a couple of times, just finding zones, finding windows … just the professionalism that he has, the ability that he has, just trusting what I see with him, and things will turn out pretty good.”
Bills coach Sean McDermott marveled at what Cooper was able to do with only four practices behind him.
“It’s good to have (Cooper) here,” McDermott said. “He made an impact in just four days, really, four teachable, learnable days. And then to come out on day five here and execute like he did was impressive.”
It was the second win in a row for the Bills, whose plus-63 point differential is second only to Washington’s plus-66.
The Seahawks, meanwhile, snapped a three-game skid with a 34-14 victory last Sunday at Atlanta.
Running back Kenneth Walker III, celebrating his 24th birthday, overcame flu-like symptoms to rush for 69 yards and a touchdown. He also caught a 17-yard scoring strike from Geno Smith.
“He was sick, man,” said Smith, who passed for 207 yards and two TDs. “Two touchdowns on his birthday, that was sick. I thought he did a great job. Obviously, he was under the weather. A little bit of his ‘flu game’ today on his birthday. I think that’s spectacular.”
Walker credited the team’s training staff for helping him stay hydrated.
“I felt fatigued,” Walker said. “I feel like just everything was kind of hard. Being sick, but we got the W, so it’s all good.”
The Seahawks might be without star receiver DK Metcalf, who sustained a Grade 1 strain of the medial collateral ligament in his knee against Atlanta.
“We know DK,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. “He’s going to probably do anything humanly possible to play in this game, I’d imagine. And we’ll assess it as the week unfolds here.”
In addition to Metcalf, Walker (illness) has missed practice time this week, as has defensive end Leonard Williams (knee) and cornerbacks Tre Brown (ankle) and Nehemiah Pritchett (ankle).
The Bills have five players who have missed practice time this week: wide receiver Curtis Samuel (pectoral), tight end Dawson Knox (ankle), defensive linemen DaQuan Jones (foot) and Dawuane Smoot (groin), and linebacker Terrel Bernard (ankle/pec).
