Gruden: Raiders not looking to trade Cooper

LONDON >> Oakland Raiders coach Jon Gruden insists he’s not shopping Amari Cooper to other teams.

He’s more worried about the wide receiver’s health after a helmet-to-helmet hit knocked Cooper out of Sunday’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Gruden denied a report by Fox Sports before the game that the Raiders (1-5) have been in discussions to trade Cooper, the two-time Pro Bowler who was being evaluated for a concussion after a hit from safety Bradley McDougald during the 27-3 loss at Wembley Stadium.

“I haven’t heard that,” Gruden said about any trade talks. “I’m just sorry I have to deal with a lot of these reports. But I just hope Amari is OK. Like I say, he’s going to be a big part of our pass offense.”

The hit from McDougald came early in the second quarter after Cooper couldn’t hold on to a low pass from Derek Carr. Cooper stayed down on the ground for treatment before being taken to the locker room for evaluation.

There was no flag on the play, but Gruden said it should have been called for a helmet-to-helmet hit.

Bills, Raiders lose their QBs, and eventually their games

Sean McDermott didn’t like the hit that knocked Josh Allen out of the game, and he sure didn’t like the way the Buffalo Bills finished without their rookie quarterback.

The Oakland Raiders also lost their QB and a receiver in what’s looking like a lost first season under Jon Gruden.

The Bills fell 20-13 in Houston Sunday, with the Texans getting the goahead score when Johnathan Joseph intercepted Nathan Peterman’s pass and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown with 1:23 remaining.

Allen threw for 84 yards and ran for 20 before he was hurt when Houston’s Whitney Mercilus hit his right elbow with his helmet after Allen’s pass. McDermott was angry about the hit and complained to officials that it was late.

“We talk about protecting the quarterback and I thought it was late,” McDermott said. “But at the end of the day, the officials rule over the game, and obviously, they didn’t.”

Peterman threw two interceptions, the second one coming after Joseph’s score.

“At the end of the game ... he was probably trying to do too much,” McDermott said. “I don’t want to paint it all bad, but we’ve got to protect the football and make sure we’re smart.”

Derek Carr and Amari Cooper both left the Raiders’ 27-3 loss to Seattle in London with injuries. Carr was holding his left arm gingerly after getting sacked six times by the Seahawks and wouldn’t have returned to the game had Oakland gotten the ball back, though he said afterward he was OK. The bigger concern was for Cooper, the two-time Pro Bowl receiver who was evaluated for a concussion after a helmet-to-helmet hit from safety Bradley McDougald. Gruden believed it should have drawn a penalty.

“I thought so,” Gruden said. “I’m just hoping Amari is OK. I’m not going to say anything else. I hope he’s all right. He’s a great kid.”