Oakland Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers: 5 takeaways from Week 5

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CARSON, CA – OCTOBER 07: Wide receiver Amari Cooper #89 of the Oakland Raiders makes a catch in front of cornerback Casey Hayward #26 of the Los Angeles Chargers in the second quarter at StubHub Center on October 7, 2018 in Carson, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

The Raiders have to get Coop involved

Amari Cooper had one target on Sunday.

Now that that has sank in, let us look at his 2018 season as a whole. In two games this season, Cooper has 18 catches for 244 yards and a touchdown. Those are the kind of numbers you would expect from a player who you took in the first round four years ago, and has two 1,000-yard seasons in three years.

Unfortunately, Cooper has only four catches in the other three games combined, including this past weekend, when he had one catch for ten yards. If the Raiders are going to do anything this season, he need to have close to double-digit targets, or else the offense is going to put up ten points, much like they did Sunday.

Next. Raiders at Chargers: 3 up, 3 down. dark

The fact that Cooper has been a non-factor in more than half the Raiders games this season is alarming, and that has to change immediately. Guys like Jordy Nelson and Martavis Bryant are good in spurts, but Cooper is a legitimate star at the wideout position, and the Raiders are wasting his talent this season.

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