Michael Irvin calls out Brandin Cooks for key drops in Super Bowl LIIIBy Darren Hartwell February 07, 2019 12:12 PM
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You could argue Brandin Cooks was the Los Angeles Rams' only effective offensive player in Super Bowl LIII.
You also could argue he was the reason they lost to the New England Patriots.
That's the stance Michael Irvin took Tuesday on Showtime's "Inside The NFL" show, arguing that Cooks dropped two passes that could have changed the course of Sunday's game.
One of those "drops" came with under five minutes to play in the fourth quarter, when Cooks couldn't hold onto a perfect Jared Goff teardrop pass as Patriots safety Duron Harmon hit him in the end zone.
"It's a 50-50 ball with Brandin Cooks. It's an 80-20 ball with Michael Irvin," Irvin said."I'm making that play. This is for the game right here, man. This is the Super Bowl and for the game. This is better than 50(-50)."You've probably seen the other play: Cooks was wide open in the end zone on a third-quarter first down, but Patriots cornerback Jason McCourty raced back to break up the pass at the last second.
"He should have made the other play," Irvin added. "Talk about a late throw. ... You still should have caught it! Who give a darn about that!
"You haven't been thinking about this since September? ... You've been thinking about this since birth, since you've been playing in your front yard. You're playing in the Super Bowl. ... That was your chance.
"You make that play right there -- you make any one of those plays, he wins the Super Bowl and the MVP."
Irvin might be right about that. Despite those two drops, Cooks finished with 120 receiving yards on eight catches to lead the Rams in both categories.
But the two catches Cooks didn't make likely will haunt the former Patriots wideout, who now has lost a Super Bowl in back-to-back seasons.
