It took until Week 6, but the Dallas Cowboys finally remembered that they acquired wide receiver Brandin Cooks this past offseason.
The veteran wideout, who has six 1,000-yard campaigns in nine seasons entering 2023, was an afterthought for the early stage of the year. In four games, Cooks saw 19 targets with nine catches for 73 yards and one rush for six yards. Hardly, the idea they had when trading for him in March.
In Monday night's 20-17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, Cooks didn't put up huge numbers but generated a fourth-quarter touchdown by running away from a defender. On the game-winning field-goal drive, he popped a 14-yard end around and picked up a key third-and-9 grab.
"It felt good," Cooks said of his performance, via the team's official website. "It was one of those things that I wanted to continue to build on and continue to earn to build that trust with Dak."
On the TD, the 30-year-old showed he still has the speed to run away from DBs, burning across the formation to snag a looping Dak Prescott pass. It was the type of play the Cowboys offense has missed in the red zone this season.
"It was a great throw and a throw also that [Prescott] put trust in me to go out there and go make," said Cooks, who finished with four receptions for 36 yards with the TD. "I'm just thankful for the opportunity and coming up with the big play to show he can continue to trust me."
With the Cowboys declining to stretch the field vertically with the passing game, Cooks has been an afterthought. And while his counting numbers might have been average Monday, that they went to him late could finally crack the door to more usage.
"That was part of the plan," Prescott said when asked about Cooks and Lamb. "I talked about what was part of the plan going into this game, knowing that we'd get some matchups with those guys, understanding how they're going to play CeeDee [Lamb], clouding his side, when they were going to give in to Cooks outside some one-one-ones, and we took advantage of them. Cooks did a great job. Tonight was due -- the player that he's been, the person that he's been, everything that he brings to this team, getting the touchdown, big third-down catches, plays that he made all over the field. He was due for a night like this. Happy for him. It will only grow for him."
Outside of CeeDee Lamb, no other Cowboys WR or TE had more than 36 yards on Monday. Michael Gallup continues to struggle with his production. Against the Chargers, he had a team-high 10 targets but caught just three passes for 24 yards. Perhaps it's time Cooks sees more of those targets.
