Kansas City Chiefs: Winners and Losers from Week 2
By Brett Gering
Loser: Marcus Cooper
Nov 17, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Marcus Cooper (31) tackles Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (88) in the second quarter at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos won 27-17. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
On the first play from scrimmage, Cooper was torched by Emmanuel Sanders for 48 yards on a deep post. At least, due to the broadcast angle, that’s how it appeared.
Film tells a different story. Assuming he had inside safety help, Cooper looked to be playing outside leverage. The safeties (Eric Berry and Husain Abdullah) seemingly dropped back into Cover 2, and both jumped an underneath route, leaving Cooper to be the fall guy.
Remember, the second-year up-and-comer didn’t transition to cornerback—he was originally a wide receiver—until his third year at Rutgers. And while the aforementioned deep ball caused his PFF rating to nosedive, in all likelihood, the lion’s share of blame should be pinned on lackluster safety play (sound familiar?).
Week 2 PFF Grade: -2.6