Amari Cooper vows to practice harder to play himself out of a 2-game rut. (TheLandOnDemand)
You must have an active subscription to read this story.
Click Here to subscribe Now!
Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Takeaways from Browns practice and interviews …
You don’t have to tell Amari Cooper the numbers – 5 receptions on 17 targets with 2 drops on potential touchdowns. It’s the worst back-to-back games in Cooper’s 2+ seasons in Cleveland.
He knows he hasn’t been the same receiver through two games as the one who’s earned five Pro Bowl berths with three teams over nine NFL seasons.
“It’s just a slow start. Some bumps in the road in terms of my play,” Cooper said. “It’s definitely motivating and humbling. Sometimes I need that.
“I just have to play better … go out and play up to my standards. I haven’t been doing that the past couple weeks. It’s time to get going.”
Cooper candidly admitted his rut could have been caused by him skipping voluntary OTAs and mandatory minicamp in June when he was protesting his contract situation.
“I’m not sure. It’s a tough question to answer because it’s my first time I missed. I guess you can say that, if you want,” he said.
But he dismissed the idea of his head being messed up by reports of being included in trade talks with the San Francisco 49ers.
“Naw, I can’t give you that one,” he said, laughing.
There are signs Cooper and quarterback Deshaun Watson are starting to mesh. He was wide open on both dropped potential touchdowns. If he caught both, Watson’s season passer rating would improve more than 14 points to 77.2 from 63.0.
But Cooper is not satisfied, obviously.
“We can always be more intentional,” he said. “I went out there yesterday and treated practice like a game. That’s what I’m going to go and do every single day now. I can’t say I’ve been doing that.”
Why not?
“Sometimes you just fall off a little bit,” Cooper said. “You need a reminder. That’s what the first two weeks kind of game me, so I’m back on track, I would say.”
Cooper said he’s not panicking about his slow start because he’s had similar bad stretches over his previous nine seasons.
“I’m not a perfect player,” he said. “Just because there’s bumps in the road doesn’t mean you’re a bad driver. I’ve had stretches like this before. I do go back and reflect on those moments. And it seemed like the end of the world then and it wasn’t, and I was able to bounce back. That’s why I’m so assured that I will this time.”
Will Hall plea-bargain result in reduced NFL discipline?
Michael Hall pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of disorderly conduct in Avon court. He received a 30-day suspended jail sentence, two years probation and a $250 fine.
In August, Hall was charged with a misdemeanor count of domestic violence stemming from an incident reported to Avon police by his fiancee. The charge was reduced as a result of the woman recanting some of the original claims made by her mother four days after the incident. The most serious claim was that Hall put a gun to her head during the heat of an argument.
In a hand-written incident report filed by the alleged victim and provided to TheLandOnDemand by Avon police, the woman wrote, in part:
“The night my mom … called the police and I verbally gave a statement my mind was in a blur. I had went through a major headache. I shouldn’t have said anything until I could think clearer. I do not recall having a gun put to my hand (sic). I do not recall seeing any guns around me.”
It would seem to be a huge point in Hall’s favor when the league decides discipline for possible violations of the personal conduct policy.
For now, there is no change in Hall’s status on paid leave via the commissioner’s exempt list.
“We have been closely monitoring all developments in the matter which remains under review of the personal conduct policy. There’s no change in his status,” an NFL spokesman emailed to TLOD.
Speed kills
Jerome Ford’s 36-yard run on a sweep out of the QB sneak formation in Jacksonville was the second-fastest time by an offensive player recorded by NextGen Stats at 21.29 mph. The next day, Ford lamented, “I just wish I was a little faster.”
Ford was caught from behind by Jaguars safety Andre Cisco at the Jacksonville 27-yard line.
“Obviously [Ford] can run,” said offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey. “You saw that last season. He had some explosive runs for us. Also, by the fact he got caught, the league’s not getting slower. There’s speed all over the field. It’s not getting slower, it’s getting faster.
“You have D-linemen running 4.6, 4.7. You go to the Combine and like 4.3 is the old 4.4. He’s rolling on that [run] and he get caught.”
Despite the 21.29 mph reading, Ford said he wasn’t shocked that he was caught from behind.
“In this league, you’ve got dudes running 4.2s. It’s not surprising. It is disappointing for me. We’re going to look to speed it up a little bit,” he said. “I felt I ran faster in college. I thought I ran faster on that run in Indy last year, I’m not sure. I think I got some more in the tank.”
Two legends of a kind
Kicker Phil Dawson will be inducted in the Browns Legends at Sunday’s game against the Giants. He will be joined by Voice of the Browns Jim Donovan, who was informed of his selection in a phone call by Dawson this week.
Donovan stepped aside as Browns radio play-by-play voice at the start of the season to concentrate on his battle against leukemia.
“Just when you think this experience can’t get any better, then I was informed that I was going to have — not only was Jim going to go in with me, which, by the way, I can’t think of anyone better to go in with, but that I was going to have the opportunity to be the one to let him know,” Dawson said on a Zoom call.
“I love Jim. He’s a friend of mine. This is a guy that I’ve gotten to know, have a relationship with. Obviously, he’s going through a lot right now, and on a personal side, my heart goes out to him and his family and pulling for him. But to have the chance to make that phone call and see it bring joy to a friend just takes this thing to a whole new level.”
Brownie bits
Defensive end Myles Garrett (foot) was a DNP for the second day in a row. The Browns do expect him to play Sunday …
Right tackle Dawand Jones (knee) returned on a limited basis. Jack Conklin was full a second day in a row and Jedrick Wills was limited again. Wouldn’t be surprised if Jones and Conklin share snaps at right tackle and James Hudson makes his third start at left tackle ...
Rookie linebacker Nathaniel Watson was waived. Safety Chase Williams was waived from injured reserve.