ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — It didn’t take five-time Pro Bowl receiver Amari Cooper long to get the hang of the Buffalo Bills’ offense and the quarterback running it — even when Josh Allen was changing plays at the line of scrimmage Sunday afternoon.
Five days after arriving in Buffalo in a trade with the Cleveland Browns, Cooper made his debut with the AFC East Division leaders and turned his first catch into a go-ahead touchdown during the Bills’ 34-10 win over the struggling Tennessee Titans.
Turns out, limited practice time was enough for the 10th-year veteran to get a handle on Buffalo’s vast playbook. Cooper said he understood his role in adjusting at the line of scrimmage by running an in route, with Allen hitting him open in the middle for a 12-yard touchdown that put Buffalo up 14-10 on its opening possession of the second half.
“We had an alert on the play built in, predicated on if we got a specific look,” said Cooper, who motioned to fellow receiver Keon Coleman to confirm the play. “We got the look that we wanted, we checked to it, and it worked just like it did in practice.”
Cooper finished with four catches for 66 yards while playing 18 snaps, and his mere presence played a role in creating working space for Buffalo’s other receivers, who had previously struggled to get open.