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Brandin Cooks' lack of targets against Rams result of 'some of the coverages,' Sean Payton says

Brandin Cooks
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks (10) warms up before the start of the game against the Los Angeles Rams at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans Sunday, November 27, 2016. (Photo by David Grunfeld, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
Print Email Herbie Teope, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune By Herbie Teope, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
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on November 28, 2016 at 1:59 PM, updated November 28, 2016 at 2:16 PM
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On a day when the New Orleans Saints offense rolled, one player was noticeably absent in the box score Sunday during the Saints' 49-21 win over the Los Angeles Rams.

Nine different players recorded a target from quarterback Drew Brees, and of those nine players, eight recorded a catch against the Rams.

Brandin Cooks, however, didn't record a target or a catch, and it's not like he wasn't on the field. The third-year pro recorded 45 offensive snaps, which ranked as the second-most among wide receivers behind rookie Michael Thomas' 50.

But there are no worries, as Cooks is apparently just fine and the Saints had plays designed to get him involved.

"I think part of it's the result of some of the coverages," Saints coach Sean Payton explained Monday in a teleconference. "There were certainly calls with his name and number on it, and periodically once in a while that can happen."

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While the Saints could have devised a specific scheme to get Cooks the ball if the coaching staff chose to force the issue, the offense didn't need its top downfield threat against the Rams.

And if Los Angeles entered Week 12 with the mindset to take away Cooks, the Rams apparently didn't have a Plan B for the rest of the weapons at Brees' disposal.

The Saints amassed 555 total yards of offense, including 209 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 32 attempts, en route to a league-high 49 points in a single game on the season.

Thomas led the receiving corps with nine catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns on 10 targets, while tight ends Coby Fleener and Josh Hill combined for 133 yards receiving on 10 catches.

More importantly, the Saints secured a victory to move to 5-6 on the season.

"The points yesterday, our third down numbers were good," Payton said. "We were in the red zone, we were scoring touchdowns.

"I thought the balance we had was important. (Running back) Mark (Ingram) ran it real well, I thought our tight ends played well. You look at the numbers for Josh Hill and Fleener, that was encouraging."

Brandin Cooks' lack of targets against Rams result of 'some of the coverages,' Sean Payton says | NOLA.com

Crusader

QBREES9

He frees up are other WR, Even Coleman catching the ball.