The Dallas Cowboys were unable to complete the upset over Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, falling 31-29 in their Week 1 opener, but it wasn’t due to a lack of supreme effort from a number of figures on offense. Quarterback Dak Prescott was sensational in his first game back since suffering that gruesome season-ending ankle injury last season and his go-to target on the night in Amari Cooper wasn’t so bad himself. In fact, Cooper’s first game of 2021 was a historic showing for the Cowboys franchise.
The 27-year-old finished his night catching 13 of his 16 targets for 139 yards and two touchdowns. All of those marks were team-highs and his receptions along with his receiving yards were game-highs.
Cooper’s 13 receptions weren’t just the highest for the game, but they are the most by a Cowboys player in the opening game of the season in team history. This was also the 10th time in Cooper’s career (sixth with the Cowboys) that he was able to record 10 or more catches in a game.
Meanwhile, his two touchdowns marked the sixth time he’s recorded a multi-touchdown game — first since catching two against Miami on Sept. 22, 2019.
So while this may not have been the team outcome that Cooper and the rest of the Cowboys were hoping for on Thursday, it was certainly a strong step into 2021 for the veteran receiver, who seems to be enjoying life with a healthy Prescott back in the fold.
