CLEVELAND (AP) — Deshaun Watson signed with the Browns back in March amid fanfare blended with controversy and curiosity.
He didn't really arrive until the second half Sunday.
Finally looking like the elite quarterback Cleveland mortgaged its future for, Watson threw three touchdown passes — two to Amari Cooper — after halftime as the Browns pushed Washington to the edge of playoff elimination with a 24-10 win over the Commanders.
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Fans booed Carson Wentz and chanted for Taylor Heinicke to no avail while it was becoming abundantly clear Ron Rivera's quarterback change backfired on the Washington Commanders.
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Just because Amari Cooper is no longer in the NFC East does not mean he's done tormenting the Washington Commanders.
Cooper had two touchdowns among his three catches and 105 yards receiving in the Cleveland Browns' 24-10 victory Sunday in a spoiler role against a team fighting to make the playoffs.
In the second half of the season, CeeDee Lamb has looked a lot like the No. 1 receiver needed by the Dallas Cowboys.
The third-year pro isn't afraid to admit it took time to adjust to the role after the offseason trade of Amari Cooper in a cost-cutting move.
BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson could be without top target Amari Cooper on Sunday in Cincinnati after the wide receiver sustained a hip injury in practice.
Cooper leads Cleveland with 61 catches for 832 yards and seven touchdowns.
CLEVELAND (3-5) at MIAMI (6-3)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK NFL LINE: Dolphins by 3 1/2.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Amari Cooper has been everything the Cleveland Browns hoped, providing leadership and high-quality play from the moment he arrived via trade from Dallas. He has been a standard of unquestioned excellence.
The Philadelphia Eagles made a big move to help quarterback Jalen Hurts. The Dallas Cowboys didn't do the same for Dak Prescott, and might have backtracked with his supporting cast.
Now it's time to see how each approach in the offseason will translate for last season's pair of playoff qualifiers — and wild-card losers — from the NFC East.
DALLAS COWBOYS (12-6)
New faces: OL Tyler Smith, DE Sam Williams, DE Dante Fowler, LB Anthony Barr, WR James Washington, WR Jalen Tolbert, TE Jake Ferguson, CB DaRon Bland.
Key losses: WR Amari Cooper, DE Randy Gregory, RT La'el Collins, LG Connor Williams, WR Cedrick Wilson, K Greg Zuerlein.
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Dak Prescott is without one of his top receivers and a starting tackle from last season as the star quarterback tries again to lead the Dallas Cowboys to a playoff breakthrough they've been seeking for more than 25 years.
CLEVELAND BROWNS (8-9)
New faces: QBs Deshaun Watson and Jacoby Brissett, WR Amari Cooper, rookie K Cade York, C Ethan Pocic, rookie WR David Bell, P Corey Bojorquez, WR/KR Jakeem Grant, DE Chase Winovich.
BEREA, Ohio (AP) — In his short time with Deshaun Watson, Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper has gained an appreciation for the quarterback's skills.
Cooper's impressed with Watson as a runner, passer and playmaker.
CLEVELAND BROWNS (8-9)
CAMP SITE: Berea, Ohio
LAST YEAR: Expected to make a run at the AFC title, the Browns flopped. There was distracting drama, costly injuries and questionable strategy as coach Kevin Stefanski's second season was completely opposite from his first, when the Browns won a playoff game.
DALLAS COWBOYS (12-6)
CAMP SITE: Oxnard, California.
LAST YEAR: The Cowboys won the NFC East for the third time in quarterback Dak Prescott's six seasons, but again failed to go deep in the playoffs, losing a home wild-card game to San Francisco.
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — The four positions with the most significant losses for the Dallas Cowboys this offseason matched the club's first four picks in the draft.
Tulsa offensive lineman Tyler Smith was the first-round choice with Dallas looking to replace two starters up front.
24. DALLAS COWBOYS (12-6)
LAST SEASON: The Cowboys won the NFC East before a wild-card loss at home to San Francisco, an outcome that clearly rankled owner Jerry Jones. The disappointment wasn't enough for him to replace coach Mike McCarthy after two years.
44. CLEVELAND BROWNS (8-9)
LAST SEASON: Perhaps the NFL's most disappointing team, the Browns fell way short of expectations after making the playoffs in coach Kevin Stefanski's first season. Quarterback Baker Mayfield suffered a left shoulder injury in Week 2 and never got untracked.
The Dallas Cowboys released right tackle La'el Collins on Thursday in the second cost-cutting move involving one of their starters on offense.
Collins is being designated as a post-June 1 cut to save more money under the salary cap this year.
DALLAS COWBOYS (12-6)
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: TE Dalton Schultz (franchise tag), DE Randy Gregory, S Jayron Kearse, G Connor Williams, LB Leighton Vander Esch, DE Dorance Armstrong, P Bryan Anger, WR Malik Turner, TE Jeremy Sprinkle, T Ty Nsekhe, DL Brent Urban, DT Carlos Watkins, LB Keanu Neal, CB Maurice Canady, S Malik Hooker, S Damontae Kazee, LS Jake McQuaide, RB Corey Clement.
The Dallas Cowboys agreed on a long-term contract with receiver Michael Gallup a day after agreeing to trade Amari Cooper to Cleveland.
Gallup is returning on a $62.5 million, five-year contract, two people with knowledge of the agreement said Sunday.
CLEVELAND (AP) — The Browns weren't willing to wait for free agency or the NFL draft to get their No. 1 wide receiver.
Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry filled his club's biggest need on Saturday by agreeing to acquire Amari Cooper in a trade with the Dallas Cowboys, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Saturday.
The Dallas Cowboys placed the franchise tag on tight end Dalton Schultz on Tuesday, buying time to agree on a long-term deal for one of Dak Prescott's most reliable targets.
The one-year contract will be worth about $11 million.
DENVER (AP) — Ndamukong Suh, Chris Harris Jr., Aaron Rodgers, Cameron Jordan. Ty Montgomery, Mark Ingram.
No, it's not a Pro Bowl ballot, just a smattering of the big names that have landed on the NFL's evermore crowded reserve/COVID-19 list this season.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Dallas receiver Amari Cooper is available to play against the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night after being listed as questionable because of his recent positive COVID-19 test in the final injury reports before the game.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Saints have lost four straight for the first time since 2015 and the Dallas Cowboys have been just one victory better during their past four games.
Those coinciding slides set up a pivotal NFC clash in the Superdome on Thursday night when Dallas (7-4) visits New Orleans (5-6).
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb is out against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thanksgiving with a concussion, and left tackle Tyron Smith is returning after missing three games with an ankle injury.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders have one victory between them in November and one more chance do something about it before the playoff push time also known as December.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Injuries and COVID-19 put the Dallas Cowboys in a predicament against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
It probably won't be much better in four days' time.
Already missing standout left tackle Tyron Smith because of an ankle injury, the Cowboys learned late this week playmaker Amari Cooper had tested positive for the coronavirus.
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Dallas receiver Amari Cooper has been placed on the COVID-19 reserve list and will miss the Cowboys' game Sunday at Kansas City.
The timing of the move Friday raises questions about Cooper's availability for the Thanksgiving game against his former team, the Las Vegas Raiders.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Cooper Rush's first NFL start was a statement victory for the surging Dallas Cowboys with starting quarterback Dak Prescott stuck on the sideline.
With every opportunity to outlast the fill-in for the first-place team on the other side, Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings withered down the stretch.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Amari Cooper rejected the suggestion that Dallas' 44-20 win over New York was even more impressive because of a sloppy start that kept the last-place Giants in the game longer than they should have been.
The NFC East nearly crowned a 6-10 champion last year. With Dak Prescott back from injury in Dallas, there’s hope at least one team will having a winning record.
The Cowboys lead the division in offensive firepower with Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup and the return of three top lineman.
Dallas receiver Amari Cooper had no answer for why the Cowboys didn't respond when Andy Dalton ended up with a concussion after the quarterback was hit while sliding on a play that led to the ejection of Washington's Jon Bostic...
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — With the future of coach Jason Garrett in limbo, the Dallas Cowboys have other reasons to believe there will be plenty of change in 2020 — 23 of them, to be exact...
ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — Hey rook, get in there.
The salary cap, rookie wage scale and migration of strategies from the college to the professional game have placed more of a premium than ever on playing rookies in the NFL.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Few teams have had success scoring touchdowns against the Patriots this season...
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Dak Prescott probably could have kept running — maybe all the way to the end zone...
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Jerry Jeudy couldn't pass up the chance to work out with one of the NFL's best receivers, a guy he has been watching since high school...
Nobody is questioning Jerry Jones anymore about trading a first-round pick for Amari Cooper.
The Cowboys are 5-1 since the 24-year-old wide receiver was acquired from Oakland for a 2019 selection that will likely be in the 20s...
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Amari Cooper's impact on Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott has been dramatic...
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dak Prescott threw his third touchdown pass to Amari Cooper on the first possession of overtime, and the Dallas Cowboys took a big step toward the NFC East title with a 29-23 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday...