Ex-Saints playmaker lands exactly where everyone thought he would
The release of Brandin Cooks hit a snag when the New Orleans Saints attempted to revise his contract in a way that would make teams less likely to claim him on waivers. That's against NFL rules, so the Saints had to revise it again. Even with new changes, Cooks cleared waivers and landed with the Buffalo Bills.
The decision to release Cooks felt sudden and overdue at the same time. He never fit the Saints timeline, but they didn't move him at the trade deadline. That felt like the end of the story until Cooks requested his release a week later.
The Saints obliged, and Cooks got his wish. It left a thin position group even thinner, but Cooks clearly felt it was time to go. Looking at how infrequently he was used, it's hard to fight that opinion.
Brandin Cooks chose the most predictable landing spot after the Saints released him
Cooks is 32 years old. He belongs with a championship contender, not a team in the NFL basement. That's the exact change Cooks got with his change of scenery. The Saints will be in contention for the first overall pick. The Bills have championships on the mind.
Buffalo has had its own concerns and shortcomings this year, but they also have Josh Allen. So while the Bills have been shaky at points, you never want to count them out in the AFC race. That's the type of team Cooks should have been on all along.
To be more specific, the Bills always felt like the most likely landing spot for the wide receiver from the moment his release was reported. Ironically, Cooks is the second Saints wide receiver the Bills have been connected to this season. Chris Olave was paired with the Bills. Olave would have been a bigger grab, but the reason for the connection is the same reason Cooks felt like a shoe in to be a Bill.
The Bills need speed, and that's been Cooks' specialty. He won't come in as the top dog in the receiving corps, but Cooks will fill a specific role for them. They, similarly, fill a role for Cooks as a championship contender.
Steelers Get Strong Message From Aaron Rodgers Before Bills Showdown
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a massive game this weekend, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers is hoping to see them play “the right way.”
Rodgers issued a strong statement toward his team ahead of their huge home game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday at Acrisure Stadium.
Pittsburgh (6-5) has dropped four of its past six games after it started 4-1 and has fallen into a first-place tie with the rival Baltimore Ravens (6-5). The Ravens have the tiebreaker by virtue of their 2-0 divisional record — the Steelers‘ record against AFC North opponents is 2-1.
But the Steelers can claim the tiebreaker against the Bills (7-4), who are a game ahead of the Steelers and currently occupy the final AFC wild-card spot with six games to play.
Aaron Rodgers Wants To See The Steelers ‘Tighten Up’ Against The Bills
The Steelers have shown flashes of greatness over the past six weeks. Their defense scored twice in their 34-12 beatdown of the Cincinnati Bengals two weeks ago, and they held Daniel Jones, Jonathan Taylor and the NFL’s No. 1 offense, the Indianapolis Colts, in check in their upset, seven-point win Nov. 2.
But Rodgers wants to see the Steelers get consistent this weekend, especially on offense.
“We need to start playing the right way this time of year,” Rodgers said. “We’ve got to be on the details. There’s too many times where we haven’t been able to survive downs, is the best way to put it, where there’s a missed assignment or a mental error and we’re not able to survive the down.
“We’ve got to do a better job of [surviving downs].”
Rodgers did not play in Pittsburgh’s 31-28 loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday, which dropped it out of first place. His status for the Bills game is very much up in the air as of Wednesday, though Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has exhibited confidence the veteran will play Sunday.
Aaron Rodgers Thinks ‘It’s All Right In Front Of’ The Steelers
The Steelers have just a plus-11 point differential through 11 games, and have struggled on both offense and defense at points this season. Still, they are very much alive in the race for the playoff race with about 30 percent of the season to go.
Rodgers alluded to the Steelers’ tough closing slate, which includes the Bills, two games against the Ravens and a road game against the Detroit Lions.
“We’ve got good opponents on the schedule in the last six [games]. We have three division games,” Rodgers said. “It’s all right in front of us.”
Pittsburgh also needs to avoid getting caught up in a potential trap game against the Cleveland Browns in Week 17 — the Steelers lost in Cleveland last year — between its Week 16 game vs Detroit and season-ending home date against Baltimore.
The Browns are 2-2 at home — they’ll take on the San Francisco 49ers this weekend — but have played four one-possession games at Huntington Bank Field, including a one-point loss to the Bengals and a three-point win over the Green Bay Packers.
You can bet Cleveland, and especially NFL sacks leader and Defensive Player of the Year favorite Myles Garrett will be chomping at the bit to knock Pittsburgh out of playoff contention if given the chance.
