On Thursday's Around the NFL Podcast, we cited the duel between Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis and Raiders wideout Amari Cooper as one of the best one-on-one tiffs of Week 8.
It's a matchup likely to decide who wins Sunday's New York-Oakland affair, a critical midseason battle for two teams still kicking in the AFC playoff hunt.
After watching Cooper become the first rookie with three 100-yard receiving outings in his team's first six games since Mike Ditka in 1961, the Jets aren't taking the fourth overall pick lightly.
"He's a talent, man," Revis said of Cooper, per NJ Advance Media. "He makes plays. Overall, he can play. He's one of the premier guys coming up in the league."
Said slot cover man Buster Skrine: "He reminds me of (Bengals wideout) A.J. Green, because A.J. came in and made an impact right away. He's a complete receiver. He's advanced to be a rookie. He's one of the top receivers in the league right now."
It's not just the Jets defense praising Cooper, with pass-catcher Brandon Marshall telling reporters, per the New York Post: "I've been a fan of Amari Cooper since college."
"He's a stud. He's a stud muffin," said Marshall: "I've never really seen this type of player before. ... It's like a mix between (Chad) Ochocinco and A.J. Green almost, where he has sweet routes, but it's not unorthodox, it's so smooth I can't explain it."
Marshall can't explain it, but the Jets better find a way to diagnose Cooper before Sunday -- or suffer the consequences.
