Omar Cooper Jr. has made an instant impact since he rejoined the Jets offense against the Patriots in Week 5. Cooper sustained an ankle injury during a 30-yard catch and run in Week 1 that sidelined him for four games, but the rookie wideout hasn't missed a step since he returned to the lineup.
Against the Dolphins, Cooper caught all 5 of his targets for 115 yards and 1 TD while becoming the fifth player in NFL history to have multiple games with 100-plus receiving yards and a receiving TD through three career games. Last week against the Patriots, he had 6 receptions for 103 yards, including a 48-yard TD.
"It was really good to see him get out there and have another big day," C Josh Myers said. "It was huge for our offense."
The Dolphins only ran nine plays in man coverage and that's when Cooper had his biggest plays of the game. According to Next Gen Stats, Cooper ran five routes and caught all three of his targets against man coverage and his 23.0 yards per route against man coverage are the most by any player in a game since at least 2018 (min. 5 routes).
Here's a look at how Cooper performed in his third career game.
First Play, First Catch
Cooper was targeted on the Jets' first play from scrimmage. After the Dolphins scored on their opening drive, Cooper hauled in a 52-yard pickup to set up the Green & White's answering score.
The Jets were in 11 personnel on their own 35-yard line with Cooper, Garrett Wilson and Adonai Mitchell, who made his return on Sunday, the three wideouts on the field. Cooper and Wilson lined up to the right with QB Geno Smith in the shotgun.
"For us it was just a run-action pass, defense busted and both the corner and the guy over me went with Garrett and busted the coverage and the safety came down and I was open," Cooper said. "I just turned around and hoped Geno was seeing what I saw."
With CB Jason Marshall Jr. tracking Wilson, there was plenty of room for Smith to throw the ball without the catch being contested.
The pass from Smith was 21 yards as Cooper caught the football at the Miami 43, but with nearly four yards of separation from the nearest two defenders, he turned left and gained 31 yards after the catch before Marshall could bring him down at the 13-yard line.
If Cooper continued up the right side of the field, he probably would've been tackled by S Dante Trader Jr., but his awareness of the defenders around him allowed him to extend the play.
"We had a lot of missed assignments that were very uncharacteristic of us on defense," Dolphins HC Jeff Hafley said. "We were in man coverage and should have had someone on Omar man-to-man."
Generating Momentum
The Jets needed a spark in the second half and Smith delivered one to Cooper good for 60 yards -- the longest play by the Green & White this season.
"That's what we needed at the time and I feel like Geno threw a great ball and I was able to make a play on it and just the celebration after, I knew we needed energy so that's kind of why I was trying to get out of it," Cooper said. "I felt like we responded pretty well, but we've got to continue to play better"
The Jets trailed 21-7 and faced third-and-long with less than eight minutes left in the third quarter. Cooper and Mitchell lined up wide to the right and Wilson to the left. When the ball was snapped, Cooper quickly got around CB Chris Johnson to create a hair of separation as Smith made the throw.
Trader closed in from the left, trying to jump the route as the ball arrived. But Smith placed the ball to where only Cooper could get it, and he gained 25 more yards after the catch bringing the Jets to the Dolphins' 10-yard line.
Cooper joined Eric Decker as the only Jets this century with multiple 50-yard receptions in a single game, according to Tru Media.
Cooper's Second Career TD
Cooper's first career NFL touchdown was a 48-yard-deep ball against the Patriots and his second came from deep inside the red zone against the Dolphins.
From the Miami 3-yard line, the Jets faced third-and-goal and lined up in 12 personnel (1 RB, 2 TE, 2 WR) with Cooper in the backfield and RB Braelon Allen to the right.
"Garrett is the single receiver on the side, he had a little stick route and the corner crashed on him and the defensive end was supposed to drop. I don't know what happened to him, but I just ran to the flat, and Garrett caught the attention and I was wide open," Cooper said.
Cooper was untouched going into the end zone and the Jets cut the Miami advantage to 21-14.
In three games, Cooper has 12 receptions, 248 yards and 2 TDs. He has been nominated as the NFL's Pepsi Rookie of the Week for the second consecutive week.
