Nothing has materialized regarding rumors that Houston Texans receiver Brandin Cooks might be moved at the trade deadline, but his strong showing against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday will serve as his final audition for any potential suitors that might make an offer for him. He was the team’s leading receiver in Week 8 despite only seeing six targets, and head coach Lovie Smith made sure to point out why his role was so limited in the game during his press conference on Sunday night.
Speaking to reporters just after the brutal loss, Smith explained that the pressure faced by quarterback Davis Mills kept Cooks from getting more balls thrown his way.
“When you have a hard time protecting, it’s kind of hard to get the ball to many people today,” He said. “When you have a hard time blocking, it’s kind of hard to get a running game going today. When you have a hard time getting off of blocks and missed tackles, you have a hard time getting their big running back down. That was the day. Any question you ask kind of starts with that. As we transition from there, when you play that bad, you can’t wait to get back and get that bad taste out of your mouth. That’s the good thing about having a Thursday game.”
If Cooks isn’t moved ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline, the offensive coaching staff will need to make him a featured target against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday, especially given the injury to budding receiver Nico Collins. At this point, the team would be all but forfeiting if they were to feature anyone else in the passing game.
The Texans’ offensive game plan against the Eagles will be a key indicator of just how serious they are about making any further progress in 2022.
