Lofton vs Cooks...Fingers Crossed!

[YodaMan79]

Could the addition of Cooks be too little, too late, maybe about four years too late? Yes. That was my immediate reaction, and I doubt I was alone during the past 12 hours. I woke up this morning actively hunting for reasons this could work, trying to drag myself out of the “our front office is operating with a Magic 8-Ball and this roster is a resource-allocation dumpster fire” mindset. Honestly, I’ve been in such an NFL funk I’m barely even pretending to be excited about the rest of the season.

 

So why not at least attempt to convince ourselves something good could come from this? At least until they inevitably prove they have absolutely no idea how to use him. I’m shoving every memory of Hines and Hardy into the mental junk drawer where I keep stuff I don’t want to talk about.

 

Here’s today’s episode of “Delusional Positivity I’m Forcing on Myself”:

maybe Brandin Cooks can be this team’s James Lofton.

 

Yes, I know, the ’80s NFL was a different sport entirely. Just roll with it. We’re in survival mode.

 

On the surface, by the numbers (before joining the Bills):

James Lofton arrived in Buffalo in 1989 at age 33.

11,085 yards

Five 1,000-yard seasons 

54 TDs

And averaging an absurd 18.3 yards per catch

Then in 1991, at 35 (and 36), he had a straight up resurgence: another 1,000-yard season, 8 TDs, a Pro Bowl (back when that actually meant something), and most importantly he helped ignite the Super Bowl run.

 

Brandin Cooks arrives here at 32.

9,687 yards

Six 1,000-yard seasons

60 TDs

A career 13.3 yards per catch (and yes, we’re all collectively pretending this year’s 8.7 doesn’t exist)

 

I’m digging deep here. I fully admit I have absolutely no clue who the Andre Reed equivalent is supposed to be, please don’t ask, it’ll collapse the whole house of optimism I’m building. But hey, could he also help propel this team into the big game? Stranger things have happened. Probably. Maybe. Don’t fact-check me.

 

If you squint hard enough, and I mean squint like you’re trying to read directions on something you're trying to air fry at 46 years of age, there are some parallels. And at this point, a little delusional hope is all we’ve got.

 

So with that, I give thanks to Brandon Beane for the next 96 hours of optimism. It may be borrowed, delusional, and doomed, but hey, why shouldn’t Bills fans get a little joy before reality smacks us again?  We're rooting for you Brandin! 

 

Let's go...never mind (I don't want this moved to the political section) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[harmonkillebrew]

haha, love it. need some delusional positivity these days.

I'm hoping it's so, just wish they had made this move in the offseason instead of waiting until week 12. Very little time now for Josh and Cooks to jell. 

[T master]

Thanks it sure beats the fire every one woe is me thoughts that always pop up !! 

[BADOLBILZ]

2 minutes ago, YodaMan79 said:

Could the addition of Cooks be too little, too late, maybe about four years too late? Yes. That was my immediate reaction, and I doubt I was alone during the past 12 hours. I woke up this morning actively hunting for reasons this could work, trying to drag myself out of the “our front office is operating with a Magic 8-Ball and this roster is a resource-allocation dumpster fire” mindset. Honestly, I’ve been in such an NFL funk I’m barely even pretending to be excited about the rest of the season.

 

So why not at least attempt to convince ourselves something good could come from this? At least until they inevitably prove they have absolutely no idea how to use him. I’m shoving every memory of Hines and Hardy into the mental junk drawer where I keep stuff I don’t want to talk about.

 

Here’s today’s episode of “Delusional Positivity I’m Forcing on Myself”:

maybe Brandin Cooks can be this team’s James Lofton.

 

Yes, I know, the ’80s NFL was a different sport entirely. Just roll with it. We’re in survival mode.

 

On the surface, by the numbers (before joining the Bills):

James Lofton arrived in Buffalo in 1989 at age 33.

11,085 yards

Five 1,000-yard seasons 

54 TDs

And averaging an absurd 18.3 yards per catch

Then in 1991, at 35 (and 36), he had a straight up resurgence: another 1,000-yard season, 8 TDs, a Pro Bowl (back when that actually meant something), and most importantly he helped ignite the Super Bowl run.

 

Brandin Cooks arrives here at 32.

9,687 yards

Six 1,000-yard seasons

60 TDs

A career 13.3 yards per catch (and yes, we’re all collectively pretending this year’s 8.7 doesn’t exist)

 

I’m digging deep here. I fully admit I have absolutely no clue who the Andre Reed equivalent is supposed to be, please don’t ask, it’ll collapse the whole house of optimism I’m building. But hey, could he also help propel this team into the big game? Stranger things have happened. Probably. Maybe. Don’t fact-check me.

 

If you squint hard enough, and I mean squint like you’re trying to read directions on something you're trying to air fry at 46 years of age, there are some parallels. And at this point, a little delusional hope is all we’ve got.

 

So with that, I give thanks to Brandon Beane for the next 96 hours of optimism. It may be borrowed, delusional, and doomed, but hey, why shouldn’t Bills fans get a little joy before reality smacks us again?  We're rooting for you Brandin! 

 

Let's go...never mind (I don't want this moved to the political section) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thumbs up for enthusiasm.   I think he's out of juice to contribute as a deep ball option but as I've said in other threads I think you can plug him in and trust him to run some of the option routes they abandoned when Dorsey was fired.   He has spent a lot of time in EP systems.......most of his best years.  That addresses this big "mesh" complaint about not having quicker developing options.  

[Coach Tuesday]

Good post.

 

But also it is exciting to know we're about to have Lofton and Stallworth on the field at the same time.  Look out Pittsburgh!

[Kelly to Allen]

18 minutes ago, YodaMan79 said:

Could the addition of Cooks be too little, too late, maybe about four years too late? Yes. That was my immediate reaction, and I doubt I was alone during the past 12 hours. I woke up this morning actively hunting for reasons this could work, trying to drag myself out of the “our front office is operating with a Magic 8-Ball and this roster is a resource-allocation dumpster fire” mindset. Honestly, I’ve been in such an NFL funk I’m barely even pretending to be excited about the rest of the season.

 

So why not at least attempt to convince ourselves something good could come from this? At least until they inevitably prove they have absolutely no idea how to use him. I’m shoving every memory of Hines and Hardy into the mental junk drawer where I keep stuff I don’t want to talk about.

 

Here’s today’s episode of “Delusional Positivity I’m Forcing on Myself”:

maybe Brandin Cooks can be this team’s James Lofton.

 

Yes, I know, the ’80s NFL was a different sport entirely. Just roll with it. We’re in survival mode.

 

On the surface, by the numbers (before joining the Bills):

James Lofton arrived in Buffalo in 1989 at age 33.

11,085 yards

Five 1,000-yard seasons 

54 TDs

And averaging an absurd 18.3 yards per catch

Then in 1991, at 35 (and 36), he had a straight up resurgence: another 1,000-yard season, 8 TDs, a Pro Bowl (back when that actually meant something), and most importantly he helped ignite the Super Bowl run.

 

Brandin Cooks arrives here at 32.

9,687 yards

Six 1,000-yard seasons

60 TDs

A career 13.3 yards per catch (and yes, we’re all collectively pretending this year’s 8.7 doesn’t exist)

 

I’m digging deep here. I fully admit I have absolutely no clue who the Andre Reed equivalent is supposed to be, please don’t ask, it’ll collapse the whole house of optimism I’m building. But hey, could he also help propel this team into the big game? Stranger things have happened. Probably. Maybe. Don’t fact-check me.

 

If you squint hard enough, and I mean squint like you’re trying to read directions on something you're trying to air fry at 46 years of age, there are some parallels. And at this point, a little delusional hope is all we’ve got.

 

So with that, I give thanks to Brandon Beane for the next 96 hours of optimism. It may be borrowed, delusional, and doomed, but hey, why shouldn’t Bills fans get a little joy before reality smacks us again?  We're rooting for you Brandin! 

 

Let's go...never mind (I don't want this moved to the political section) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I thought this too

 

But cooks is more a super quick stutter step type wr

 

Lofton was a long striding track star who probably aged better than any wr outside of Jerry Rice 

 

It obviously could happen 

 

Joey Galloway was a similar archetype wr and had great years in his mid 30s 

 

Depends on chemistry too which is massively underrated with QBs and wrs

Edited 18 minutes ago by Kelly to Allen

[YodaMan79]

Just now, Kelly to Allen said:

 

I thought this too

 

But cooks is more a super quick stutter step type wr

 

Lofton was a long striding track star who probably aged better than any wr outside of Jerry Rice 

 

It obviously could happen 

 

Joey Galloway was a similar archetype wr and had great years in his mid 30s 

Santana Moss?

[Kelly to Allen]

Just now, YodaMan79 said:

Santana Moss?

Yup that's a good comp too

4 minutes ago, Coach Tuesday said:

Good post.

 

But also it is exciting to know we're about to have Lofton and Stallworth on the field at the same time.  Look out Pittsburgh!

 

 

[BuffaloBillsGospel2014]

All this and we're about to run James Cook 60 times against the Steelers. 

[BuffaloBillyG]

If Cooks can come in just before December and revitalize his career leading the Bills to glory...well it may just inspire another Hallmark Christmas Movie. 

[Your Brown Eye]

I told myself I wasn't going to drink today

[Artful Dodger]

Is James Lofton still available?  He's only 69 years old.  

[Chandler#81]

Good post. I need optimism!

[Steptide]

I'm interested to watch cooks talk to the media today (assuming he does). Last year when we traded for Cooper, everyone was salivating over him, yet everytime I'd watch him talk to the media, he seemed so checked out to me. I'm genuinely curious if cooks has some fire in him 

[YodaMan79]

2 minutes ago, Artful Dodger said:

Is James Lofton still available?  He's only 69 years old.  

Word is, he's still faster and can separate better than Coleman.  

[Royale with Cheese]

4 minutes ago, YodaMan79 said:

Word is, he's still faster and can separate better than Coleman.  

 

He also understands basic math.

 

Keon: "If the meeting is at 9:00 am, I live 30 minutes away....will I make it on time if I leave at 8:45 am?  I don't see why not!"

Edited just now by Royale with Cheese

[skibum]

It's going to be Amari Cooper 2.0. Let's be realistic. 

[buffaloboyinATL]

31 minutes ago, YodaMan79 said:

Could the addition of Cooks be too little, too late, maybe about four years too late? Yes. That was my immediate reaction, and I doubt I was alone during the past 12 hours. I woke up this morning actively hunting for reasons this could work, trying to drag myself out of the “our front office is operating with a Magic 8-Ball and this roster is a resource-allocation dumpster fire” mindset. Honestly, I’ve been in such an NFL funk I’m barely even pretending to be excited about the rest of the season.

 

So why not at least attempt to convince ourselves something good could come from this? At least until they inevitably prove they have absolutely no idea how to use him. I’m shoving every memory of Hines and Hardy into the mental junk drawer where I keep stuff I don’t want to talk about.

 

Here’s today’s episode of “Delusional Positivity I’m Forcing on Myself”:

maybe Brandin Cooks can be this team’s James Lofton.

 

Yes, I know, the ’80s NFL was a different sport entirely. Just roll with it. We’re in survival mode.

 

On the surface, by the numbers (before joining the Bills):

James Lofton arrived in Buffalo in 1989 at age 33.

11,085 yards

Five 1,000-yard seasons 

54 TDs

And averaging an absurd 18.3 yards per catch

Then in 1991, at 35 (and 36), he had a straight up resurgence: another 1,000-yard season, 8 TDs, a Pro Bowl (back when that actually meant something), and most importantly he helped ignite the Super Bowl run.

 

Brandin Cooks arrives here at 32.

9,687 yards

Six 1,000-yard seasons

60 TDs

A career 13.3 yards per catch (and yes, we’re all collectively pretending this year’s 8.7 doesn’t exist)

 

I’m digging deep here. I fully admit I have absolutely no clue who the Andre Reed equivalent is supposed to be, please don’t ask, it’ll collapse the whole house of optimism I’m building. But hey, could he also help propel this team into the big game? Stranger things have happened. Probably. Maybe. Don’t fact-check me.

 

If you squint hard enough, and I mean squint like you’re trying to read directions on something you're trying to air fry at 46 years of age, there are some parallels. And at this point, a little delusional hope is all we’ve got.

 

So with that, I give thanks to Brandon Beane for the next 96 hours of optimism. It may be borrowed, delusional, and doomed, but hey, why shouldn’t Bills fans get a little joy before reality smacks us again?  We're rooting for you Brandin! 

 

Let's go...never mind (I don't want this moved to the political section) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have no real statistical basis for this, but I have always thought of Brandon Cooks as a poor man’s Desean Jackson. 
 

He seems to me like the type of player that just king of plays his role when he is on a bad team, but elevates his game when the team is actually playing for something.  
 

I believe he will give us the best of what he has left, and hopefully that is enough to make a difference.