Oakland Raiders vs. Chargers: Key Matchups

Amari Cooper vs. Jason Verrett

August 14, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper (89) runs with the football against the St. Louis Rams during the first quarter in a preseason NFL football game at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

After a few of weeks of impressive play, Oakland’s offense has sputtered the last couple of weeks. Part of the reason for that is Amari Cooper not being involved in the offense as much, which hopefully changes this Sunday.

Cooper posted back to back 100+ yard games when the Raiders won consecutive games, but then he failed to register more than 4 catches or 49 yards in either of the last two contests, which were both losses.

If that’s going to change on Sunday, Cooper certainly has his work cut out for him. Jason Verrett is one of the best young cornerbacks in the league, and he’s already had great showings against some of the league’s top wide receivers this season.

That’s an average of less than 3 catches and 43 yards per receiver against Calvin, AJ and Antonio Brown. Ridiculous. Watching Jason Verrett play, it’s easy to see why. Check him out in coverage against Antonio Brown, the best route-runner in the NFL.

Let’s see if Bill Musgrave can draw up some creative ways to get Amari Cooper open in space, where he is able to do the most damage.

Either way, try to pay attention to this matchup throughout the day. It’ll be fun to watch and it will be a great test to see where Cooper stands in this league as a wide receiver.

Next: Key Matchup #2: Mack vs. Dunlap