Following the lopsided New Orleans Saints 49-21 victory over the Los Angeles Rams this past Sunday, you would expect nothing but sunshine and smiles down in the Big Easy. If we’re talking about the weather, the New Orleans area is currently under a tornado watch. With regards to the team, there has been a tornado of sorts; a media storm regarding the happiness, or lack thereof, of wide receiver Brandin Cooks.
Brandin Cooks Frustration Boils Over in Victory Versus Rams
Shortly after the best 60 minutes the Saints have put together this season, a seemingly frustrated Cooks took to social media stating, “They tell you it’s a business. Well I guess I have to turn into a businessman.” It was implied by several sources that the meaning behind the post was that if the star wideout wasn’t going to receive targets during the game that he would be forced to take his talents elsewhere. Cooks is currently in the third year of a four-year deal.
Fantasy football players who started Cooks this past week have not helped matters, stating their own displeasure and trying to fuel the media fire.
Cooks, the Oregon State phenom, has been quiet on social media since the aforementioned post on Monday. Fellow players and even coach Sean Payton himself have shown little concern for the anomaly in production, citing that opportunities will continue to come for Cooks as the season continues to progress. Brandin Cooks had made multiple catches in every other game this season prior to Sunday’s win over the Rams. He currently is second on the team in catches, yardage and touchdowns. All three of those categories are led by rookie standout Michael Thomas.
While Vince Lombardi taught us that “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing”, today’s NFL has a much more aware group of players. The ultimate goal is still that elusive trophy named after Lombardi, but players now know more than ever the physical and financial risks they take every week. For those reasons, it makes Brandin Cooks’ comment a little easier to understand.
Cooks’ Role in the Balance of the Season
The New Orleans Saints currently sit at 5-6 on the season and will host a formidable opponent in the 7-4 Detroit Lions this weekend at the Mercedes Benz Superdome. The offense will need to be clicking to keep up with the Lions’ high-octane offense this week, led by Matthew Stafford. The Saints’ playoff hopes may ride on this game and distractions of any kind can be lethal to the 2016 campaign. It will be important to get Cooks involved early.
Expectations for this week are that Brandin Cooks will return to form this week and continue to be an important part of this Saints offense. The targets will come back and Sean Payton will find a way to exploit the Detroit defense with his skill set.
The hopes are that the frustration of Cooks lies solely in the zero target / zero reception game and not in the fact that it appears Michael Thomas is now the Saints primary target. As far as the frustration of those fantasy football players, that’s a little easier to figure.
