Buffalo Bills star WR starting to become a concern

A Buffalo Bills star wide receiver is starting to become a concern heading towards the playoffs.

Evan Massey | 7 Hours Ago

Dec 22, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper (18) stiff arms New England Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss (53) in the second quarter at Highmark Stadium. / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

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When the Buffalo Bills made the trade to acquire star wide receiver Amari Cooper from the Cleveland Browns, many thought that he would become the No. 1 target for superstar quarterback Josh Allen.

Unfortunately, since the trade, Cooper hasn't been able to do much. He has had a couple of good games, but he has also had quite a few disappointments.

In the seven games that he has played with the Bills since the trade, Cooper has caught just 17 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown.

Needless to say, those aren't the numbers that Buffalo was expecting. Cooper has yet to prove that he can be an impact player for the Bills come playoff time.

Today, against the New England Patriots, Cooper mustered up just one catch for 10 yards.

Looking ahead at the rest of the season, Cooper is becoming a concern.

Buffalo is going to need as much offensive production as it can get in the playoffs. Without Cooper playing at a high level, the passing game is limited from a talent perspective.

Buffalo Bills star Amari Cooper is pictured making a catch.

Nov 17, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper (18) makes a catch against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half at Highmark Stadium. / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Keon Coleman has looked solid as a rookie, Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox are solid tight ends, and Khalil Shakir has put together his best season. Mack Hollins has played a decent role and James Cook is a threat in the passing game out of the backfield.

Cooper playing to the level that he's capable of could take the offense to the next level. That is what he was acquired to do.

At 30 years old, perhaps age is starting to catch up with Cooper. He hasn't been able to get the kind of separation that he usually gets. Cooper also hasn't been able to take the top off of defenses.

Granted, adjusting to a trade can be difficult. There is a chance that Cooper will continue improving within the Bills' offense. However, there are becoming less reasons to believe that he can do that as the weeks continue to pass.

If Cooper is unable to do more than he has provided Buffalo so far, he will be mostly a non-factor in the playoffs. That isn't good news for the Bills' offense.

Hopefully, he can start turning things up a bit in the final two games of the regular season. Josh Allen is going to need the veteran wideout to be a reliable target in the postseason.

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