Notes: Cooper finds groove, rebounds after disappointing effort

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. –- Amari Cooper had his worst game as a professional last week, with one catch and two drops in a loss to the Detroit Lions.

He was panned for a too-high drop count and wasn’t as involved in the game plan as head coach Jack Del Rio would’ve liked.

There was little doubt Cooper was rebound well. That confidence was well placed.

Cooper had seven catches for 115 yards in Sunday’s 24-21 victory over the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium, without a drop to his name.

[BAIR: Roberts 'came up huge' in Raiders victory over Tennessee]

Cooper played to his potential and made big plays downfield, which sparked a previously dormant Raiders offense.

“We didn’t change anything or say we had to do something different with Amari,” quarterback Derek Carr said. “I’m happy for him though because he has been putting in serious work to make plays that way.”

Cooper now has 59 catches for 851 yards and four touchdowns. The first total set a franchise record for receiving yards by a rookie, previously held by James Jett. He had 771 yards in 1993.

Cooper is well on his way to 1,000 yards, and will be the first to do so since 2005. He isn’t one for geeking out over records, but cares about executing as well as he did on Sunday.

The Raiders found Cooper on their first play, when it was clear the No. 4 overall pick was primed for a big day. His best catch came down the right sideline, when he hauled in a 41 yard lob from Carr.

“It always feels nice to get involved early,” Cooper said. “It helps you get into a groove and have strong confidence.

Carr a father figure?: The Raiders tried to make something out of nothing on the first half’s final play. Carr completed a five-yard pass to Seth Roberts, who ran backwards, lateraled it and tried to keep the play alive. It eventually ended up in Carr’s hands, and he promptly took a knee to end the shenanigans.

“I felt like a dad taking the ball away and telling the kids to go inside,” Carr said.

Mack gets two sacks: Raiders edge rusher Khalil Mack had two sacks on Sunday, the third time he has accomplished that feat. He now has seven on the season, the highest total since Tommy Kelly had 7.5 in 2011.

Amerson collects PBUs: Raiders cornerback David Amerson had a strong showing against Tennessee, with an interception and six pass break ups, which stands as a franchise record. It was also the highest number of PBUs in the NFL since 2013.

Raiders contain Mariota: The Raiders defense did a solid job corralling fleet-footed Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota in Sunday’s win. The rookie was 17-for-37 for 218 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions and only ran once for a seven-yard gain.

That’s a solid showing against a talented signal caller who has given opponents fits at times this season.

“He did some good things out there,” Mack said, “but I thought we did pretty well dealing with him.”

This and that: The Raiders got their fifth win of the season, the highest total since 2011. They remain a game out of the wild-card race, with several AFC teams ahead of them at 6-5. …Carr conducted his third comeback drive this season. This one was cemented with a touchdown pass to Seth Roberts. …Safety Nate Allen iced victory with a late interception. It was the 11th of his career and his first as a Raider.

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