OAKLAND – Rookie receiver Amari Cooper was active for Thursday night’s home game in name only. The Raiders most dynamic skill player wasn’t able to do much in a 23-20 victory over the San Diego Chargers.
He had just two catches for 10 yards, a smaller net due to a wacky negative play at the end of the first half.
Cooper’s dropoff was due to a foot injury. A short turnaround didn’t allow to heal properly. The No. 4 overall pick has been battling a foot injury for about a month, taking it easy during the practice week to be ready to go come kickoff.
Cooper wasn’t afforded that luxury this time around. He just didn't have time to get right. Foot injuries in particular can hamper Cooper’s game, which is based on speed in and out of breaks, precise route running and elusive play in space that can turn small plays into big gains.
That’s why Cooper was limited, only present in brief stints. He played just 22 of 78 offensive snaps, a season low by a large margin. Cooper’s absence changed how the Chargers played on defense.
“When Amari’s in the game, people play us different,” Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said. “They roll coverages certain ways and always account for him with scheme. It’s hard when you take him out, but we have faith in all of our guys to get the job done.”
That meant more time for Andre Holmes, who was a feature player with Michael Crabtree also shuttling in and out.
Cornerback Neiko Thorpe missed a second straight game with a neck injury, so DJ Hayden played a whopping 73 snaps. He allowed four catches for 47 yards on eight targets. He had two passes defensed, but was flagged for a pass interference penalty on San Diego’s game-tying drive in the fourth quarter.
Also, Ben Heeney has become a full-time linebacker after focusing on passing downs in recent weeks. He played 75 snaps against San Diego, while Curtis Lofton played only eight.
Here’s a look at the Raiders offensive and defensive snap counts, as recorded by analytics site Pro Football Focus. Special teams snaps were taken from the official NFL gamebook, which did not have offensive and defensive snap counts available on Friday morning.
OFFENSE
78 – QB Derek Carr, C Rodney Hudson, RG Jon Feliciano, RT J’Marcus Webb, LT Donald Penn, LG Gabe Jackson
62 – RB Latavius Murray
61 – WR Michael Crabtree
60 – WR Andre Holmes
48 – TE Clive Walford
43 – WR Seth Roberts
40 – TE Lee Smith
26 – TE Mychal Rivera
22 – WR Amari Cooper
15 – FB Marcel Reece
7 – FB Jamize Olawale
5 – RB Taiwan Jones
1 – Charles Woodson
DEFENSE
81 – DE Kahlil Mack, LB Malcolm Smith
80 – S Charles Woodson
78 – CB David Amerson
77 – CB TJ Carrie
75 – LB Ben Heeney
74 – DE Benson Mayowa
73 – CB DJ Hayden
70 – DL Denico Autry
54 – S Taylor Mays
37 – DL Leon Orr
34 – DT Dan Williams
29 – DT Justin Ellis
24 – DE Shelby Harris
9 – DT Stacy McGee
8 – LB Curtis Lofton
6 – LB Lorenzo Alexander
1 – S Larry Asante
SPECIAL TEAMS
32 – Lorenzo Alexander, Keith McGill
25 – Larry Asante, Korey Toomer, Jamize Olwale
24 – Taiwan Jones
21 – Andre Holmes
20 – Mychal Rivera
14 – Ben Heeney
12 – Taylor Mays, Marquette King, Thomas Gafford
11 – Curtis Lofton
10 – Lee Smith
9 – Tevin McDonald
8 – Sebastian Janikowski
7 – Marcel Reece, Dan Williams, Leon Orr, Dexter McDonald, Stacy McGee, Benson Mayowa, Khalil Mack, Denico Autry
6 – TJ Carrie, Jeremy Ross
4 – DJ Hayden
3 – Tony Bergstrom, J’Marcus Webb, Khalil Barnes, Donald Penn, Clive Walford, Jon Feliciano, Gabe Jackson
