FRISCO - Dallas Cowboys veteran receiver Brandin Cooks had been on the sidelines for seven weeks before returning in the 27-20 win over the New York Giants on Thanksgiving.
And what a return it was.
Not a huge day numbers-wise, but it was the value of Cooks' touches that proved what he can add to an offense that desperately needs it.
Brandin only had three receptions for 16 yards and a touchdown, but the timing of those was crucial.
In the third quarter, after Cooper Rush looked to have fumbled in the red zone, only for his knee to be down upon review, the following play, he hit Cooks for a two-yard touchdown to give Dallas a 20-10 lead.
Then came his most important catch. Facing a third-and-two coming out of the two-minute warning with the Giants only behind by one score, Rush hit Cooks for a three-yard completion to end the game.
To say that head coach Mike McCarthy was happy to have the veteran back is an understatement.
“It's great having Brandin back full-time on every front,” McCarthy said. “He's a great leader, a wonderful human being, everybody enjoys working with him. He's just so consistent, precise, detailed in everything he does. He's a great example for the young players, but most importantly, when we started that series, we were going to run it and take those two timeouts off the clock, and that was the third-down call.
So that third-down call was decided before the series even started, so that clearly tells you what we think of Brandin. It was great to have him back.”
So, after being out for seven weeks, Cooks made his presence felt instantly, helping push the lead out to double-digits and then having the game-winning reception.
With the Cowboys dealing with a host of injuries this season, one of which was Cooks, it is good timing to have the veteran return for the final stretch as Dallas looks to continue to salvage something from this wreckage.
And "Big Mike" is happy to have The Archer back.
