Browns Digest

WATCH: Amari Cooper's Huge First Half Anchors Browns Lead Over Houston

Amari Cooper had a couple of explosive plays in the first half against the Texans on Sunday, helping the Cleveland Browns build an early lead.

Brendan Gulick

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Amari Cooper is proving to be everything Cleveland could have ever hoped for when they traded for him.

While everyone in NFL circles is talking about Joe Flacco's emergence as Cleveland's starting quarterback, his instant connection with with Cooper has been beneficial for both players.

Cooper became the first Cleveland Browns receiver to pull in 1,000 receiving yards in back-to-back seasons on the first play of the game, when Flacco fired a 53-yard strike down the middle of the field.

That was quite a statement on the very first play of the afternoon.

Turns out Cooper was just getting started.

About 10 minutes later, Flacco found Cooper for this impressive, leaping catch on the near sideline to move the chains.

Cooper's body control is among his most impressive traits and it was certainly on display there.

The biggest highlight of the first half for Cooper came early in the second quarter, when Flacco launched one down the left sideline. Cooper beat a defender, managed to fight off a defensive pass interference call, make the catch while tight-roping the sideline and race to the end zone.

The Browns came into Sunday's game in great shape to make the postseason, and it's hard to envision a serious playoff surge without the Flacco-to-Cooper connection taking center stage. Cleveland's defense has carried most of the weight this season, and they've certainly gotten the notoriety they deserve. But if the Browns can keep sprinkling in explosive plays like that, they're going to be a really tough team to beat.

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Brendan Gulick
BRENDAN GULICK

Brendan Gulick is the publisher for Browns Digest, BuckeyesNow, Cleveland Baseball Insider and Cavs Insider on the FanNation Network. He is also an accomplished host and play-by-play voice on TV and radio, including on Big Ten Network and NCAA.com where he's called 50 NCAA national championships. Gulick is an update anchor and fill-in host at 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland, Ohio. 

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