Cowboys, Colts carry momentum into clash
The game-winning touchdown catch Amari Cooper made in overtime last week might have been pure luck, but there is no receiver in the NFL currently having a greater impact on his team than the one Cooper is making with the Dallas Cowboys.
Reeling and losing prior to Cooper's acquisition from the Oakland Raiders for a first-round pick, Dallas has rattled off five straight wins since dropping his debut game with the team to Tennessee. A sixth consecutive victory Sunday against the Colts in Indianapolis, coupled with losses by the Philadelphia Eagles (6-7) and the Washington Redskins (6-7), would clinch the NFC East title for the Cowboys (8-5).
In his six games with Dallas, Cooper has 40 catches for 642 yards and six touchdowns. Prorate that over a full season and you have more than 100 receptions for more than 1,700 yards. In his last 20 games with the Raiders, Cooper managed just 960 yards.
Cooper registered 10 catches for 217 yards and three scores last week as the Cowboys topped the Eagles 29-23 in overtime. With every catch and every big play, the question comes up: Why did Oakland owner Mark Davis think it was good business to trade his top receiver?
"He was a great, great player," Davis told the Dallas Morning News. "We always had the fastest guy on the field no matter what. It just didn't work out in our system."
While few things work out in whatever system the Raiders use these days, business is booming for the Cowboys and the Colts (7-6). Indianapolis earned a 24-21 win at Houston last week, not only snapping the Texans' nine-game winning streak but also keeping the Colts in contention for the AFC's second wild-card spot.
Indianapolis, which is tied with the Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans, may have the NFL's hottest quarterback. Andrew Luck strafed Houston for 399 yards and two touchdowns last week, and outside of an unfathomable clunker two weeks ago in a 6-0 loss at Jacksonville, he has been playing at perhaps the highest level of his career over the past seven games.
In the Colts' six wins in that seven-game span, Luck posted a passer rating of more than 100. His return to health and dominance has led to success for first-year coach Frank Reich.
"Really proud of how the guys came out and fought," Reich said of the win in Houston. "Looking forward to keeping that same mindset and approach coming back home against another hot team. It will be a good test for us."
Containing Cooper might determine if the Colts can pass that test.
"He's trying to get integrated into our team, and he's done that really quickly," Dallas coach Jason Garrett said.
--Field Level Media
