Edgerrin Cooper kept rolling Sunday, and the Green Bay Packers needed every bit of it in a 20-17 overtime win over the New York Jets.
The former Texas A&M linebacker was everywhere for Green Bay, finishing with eight tackles, six of them solo, along with three tackles for loss, a sack and a quarterback hit. His 10-yard sack of Geno Smith helped fuel a Packers defense that came up with four sacks total, held New York to 67 rushing yards and limited the Jets to 2.5 yards per carry.
That defense had to hold firm after Green Bay trailed 17-7 early in the fourth quarter. The Packers answered with 10 straight points to tie it and send the game to overtime, then got the ball first on the extra-period defensive possession.
New York opened overtime at its own 30, but the drive quickly went the wrong way. A holding penalty erased a positive play, and Cooper helped shut down Breece Hall for a short gain. From there, Green Bay stacked back-to-back sacks to force a punt and hand its offense a chance to finish the job.
Rookie kicker Trey Smack did just that, drilling a 26-yard field goal five plays later to end it.
It was Cooper’s second strong outing in a row. In Green Bay’s season-opening loss to the Minnesota Vikings, he logged seven tackles and a sack. Packers defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon called him “lights out” and said the linebacker was “all over the place” in that game.
Through two weeks, Cooper has 15 tackles and two sacks, and he’s quickly becoming one of the most dependable pieces on the Packers’ defense.
That early surge matters even more with star pass rusher Micah Parsons still to return. Green Bay didn’t finish in Week 1, but it bounced back against New York, and Cooper was a big part of the defense that made the comeback possible.
The Packers are back home Thursday against the Atlanta Falcons at Lambeau Field.
In Other News...
Texas A&M Suddenly Has Two Problems Fans Cant Ignore
Texas A&Ms SEC opener in Lexington brought a reality check, and it came in a game the Aggies were expected to handle. Kentucky controlled enough of the evening to hand A&M a 31-21 loss, leaving the group with immediate questions on both sides of the ball after entering the matchup as the favorite.
Mario Craver and KJ Edwards provided some encouraging signs on offense, but Marcel Reeds interceptions and a defense that surrendered too much yardage and too many points, especially in the third quarter, stood out for all the wrong reasons. For an Aggies team that needed a clean start to conference play, the loss was more than just a setback because it exposed problems that cannot be brushed aside. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Suddenly Has A Mike Elko Problem Before LSU
Texas A&Ms trip to the top 10 came apart quickly on Saturday night, when the Aggies lost 31-21 at home to unranked Kentucky. It was the worst defeat so far in Mike Elkos tenure, and it came with the kind of defensive letdown that makes a ranking drop feel inevitable. Kentucky piled up 408 yards, and the Aggies slid from No. 8 to No. 20 in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll.
Now the attention turns to LSU, and the timing could hardly be less forgiving for Elkos team. A home loss like this raises obvious questions about consistency and resilience, especially with a rivalry game next on the schedule. Texas A&M still has plenty of season left to repair the damage, but the margin for error suddenly looks a lot thinner than it did a week ago. [Read more 🡒]
Terry Bussey News Leaves Texas A&M With A Huge Offensive Problem
Terry Busseys season is over, and Texas A&M is now dealing with a problem that goes well beyond simply replacing one receiver. Mike Elko confirmed in a press conference that Bussey will miss the rest of the year after suffering a lower body injury in the Kentucky game, taking away one of the Aggies more important offensive pieces and a regular presence on kickoff returns.
For a team trying to keep its passing game moving, the timing stings. Texas A&M does have other receivers available, but Busseys versatility made him difficult to replace in one spot, let alone all the ways the Aggies used him. The next few games will show how much the offense can absorb before his absence starts to reshape the whole rotation. [Read more 🡒]