Michael Thomas

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks has had his role reduced a bit this season, but he played a sizable amount of snaps one week after expressing frustration.

It would be wrong to assume Cooks' frustration led to the increased role because it was likely matchup related, which was the reason for some of his reduced snaps in other games.

Cooks was on the field for 51 of 61 snaps (84 percent) in Sunday's loss to the Detroit Lions, and he finished with seven catches on nine targets for 73 yards. It was just the second time in the past six games he eclipsed the 80 percent mark.

Related players: Michael Thomas

Playing 77 percent of offensive snaps entering Sunday's game, Cooks obviously plays a significant role in the offense, but that percentage is a decrease from 2015 when he played 83 percent in 2015. Cooks led receivers in snaps last year, but he's second this season behind rookie Michael Thomas, who played 78 percent before Sunday's game and played one more snap than Cooks Sunday. In 2015, Cooks played at least 80 percent of snaps in 11 of 16 games. So far this year, he's played 80 percent in just six of 12 games. Some of the reduction is surely related to the blocking ability of Brandon Coleman and Willie Snead. Cooks ranks second on the Saints in targets (84), receptions (58), receiving yards (809) and receiving touchdowns (six). Thomas leads in all of those categories, the story all said.