A week after throwing two interceptions and completing just over 53 percent of his passing attempts, QB Deshaun Watson put together a much stronger performance against the Jaguars in the Browns' first win of the season.
Watson attributed his improvement to gaining comfort as his playing time increases since his season-ending shoulder surgery in November 2023.
"You know, the more reps we get – I think that's for every player – the more comfortable you get, [you get]," Watson said on Wednesday. "And just each and every game is different. So, like I said, Dallas was Dallas and after that Monday, I was past that one and I was focused on Jacksonville."
Watson completed 64.7 percent of his passes, was sacked just twice compared to six times the week prior and rushed for a touchdown. When under pressure, per Next Gen Stats – over a 24 percentage point swing from the Cowboys game.
However, only three of Watson's 22 completions went to five-time Pro Bowl WR Amari Cooper despite the wide receiver generating eight targets.
"It's part of the game. It sometimes depends on the defensive coordinators and the way they scheme," Watson said on the pair's struggles this season. "Sometimes it's the way that the game is kind of playing out. But we never lose faith in each other. It's a long season and we're just going to continue to work and figure it out. But when it does click, it's definitely going to be very exciting for both of us."
In the first two weeks of the season, Cooper has five receptions for 27 yards on 17 targets. Cooper, who had just seven total drops last season, has had four between Weeks 1 and 2.
One of those came in the second quarter against the Jaguars, when Watson had Cooper open on a deep route, but Cooper failed to haul in the pass.
"You want to go out there and play your best brand of football individually as early as possible, so definitely been frustrating. But it is what it is," Cooper said on Thursday. "You gotta go out there and just play your game, get back focused, lock back in and that's what I'm looking to do."
With an offense full of receiving weapons, offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey said that Cooper is an integral part of their game plan despite his quiet first two weeks of the season.
"At the end of the day, Amari is a pro and he does a great job preparing himself," Dorsey said. "It's one of those things where you just never know where the ball is going to go in the course of the game and we're just going to continue to grow as an offense. Obviously, Amari is a big part of that."
The 10-year veteran said that he has gone through dry spells in his career before, and his ability to bounce back each time is a major factor in his confidence for this season.
Yet, he's also finding ways to tweak his process when he gets in one of those spells. Cooper has taken a different approach towards practice in response to his performance through the first two weeks of the season, going into each session with more intentionality.
"I went out there yesterday and I treated the practice like the game," Cooper said. "And that's what I'm going to go and do every single day of practice going forward, just treating the practice like the game, attacking it just like I would the game. And I can't say I've necessarily been doing that, but that's what I gotta do."
Check out photos of the team working to prepare for their game this week against the New York Giants at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus
Quarterback Jameis Winston (5) and Cornerback Tony Brown (38) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 19, 2024.
Defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson (94) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Running back Jerome Ford (34) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Cornerback Greg Newsome II (0) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 19, 2024.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Running back D'Onta Foreman (27) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (6) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Offensive tackle James Hudson III (66) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Wide receiver Elijah Moore (8) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 19, 2024.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Linebacker Devin Bush (30) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Offensive guard Joel Bitonio (75) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 19, 2024.
Defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo (54) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Tight end Geoff Swaim (84) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 19, 2024.
`51 during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Running back Gary Brightwell (35) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Wide receiver James Proche II (11) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (23) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 19, 2024.
Running back Jerome Ford (34) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Safety Grant Delpit (9) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 19, 2024.
Cornerback Tony Brown (38) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Running back Royce Freeman (28) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 19, 2024.
Offensive tackle Lorenzo Thompson (69) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 19, 2024.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson (72) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Running back D'Onta Foreman (27) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 19, 2024.
Cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (23) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 19, 2024.
Linebacker Devin Bush (30) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Linebacker Michael Barrett (48) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 19, 2024.
Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (17) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Offensive guard Germain Ifedi (65) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 19, 2024.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 19, 2024.
Wide receiver Elijah Moore (8) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 19, 2024.
Defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson (72) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Defensive end Za'Darius Smith (99) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Running back Gary Brightwell (35) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Long snapper Charley Hughlett (47) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Offensive tackle Lorenzo Thompson (69) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 19, 2024.
Cornerback Greg Newsome II (0) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Offensive tackle Lorenzo Thompson (69) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Running back Jerome Ford (34) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Tight end Jordan Akins (88) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Linebacker Michael Barrett (48) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Defensive tackle Siaki Ika (62) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Linebacker Winston Reid (59) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Tight end Blake Whiteheart (86) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 19, 2024.
Tight end Jordan Akins (88) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 19, 2024.
Running back Gary Brightwell (35) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 19, 2024.
Defensive tackle Jowon Briggs (97) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 19, 2024.
Linebacker Luji Vilain (98) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 19, 2024.
Tight end Cameron Latu (82) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 19, 2024.
Offensive guard Joel Bitonio (75) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2024.
Wide receiver Jaelon Darden (16) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 19, 2024.
Tight end Geoff Swaim (84) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 19, 2024.
Offensive guard Joel Bitonio (75) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 19, 2024.
Despite the slow start, head coach Kevin Stefanski isn't lacking confidence in the receiver either. In each of his two seasons under Stefanski, Cooper has put together 70+ catch and 1,000+ yard performances. His 2,410 receiving yards between the 2022 and 2023 seasons are the eighth-most in the NFL in that timespan.
"It's a small sample size," Stefanski said on Monday. "I've seen it click with [Watson and Cooper] many times, so we'll just keep working."
Cooper – a five-time Pro Bowler – has put together five games with 90 receiving yards or more in his 14 games played with Watson. The two have connected on four touchdown passes and consistently express their trust in one another.
Cooper said that the first two weeks of the season have served as a source of motivation as 15 more regular season games await the Browns.
"Sometimes you just fall off a little bit and you need a reminder and that's what the first two weeks kind of gave me and so I'm back on track I would say," Cooper said.
