The former Oregon State Beavers star is ready to help the Dallas Cowboys make a playoff run

Brandin Cooks set out to make an impact in his first game.

Cooks, who hadn’t played in more than two months, was back on the field on Thanksgiving Day for the first time since Week 4. The wide receiver accomplished his goal of being a difference-maker for the Dallas Cowboys in his return. Cooks caught just three passes for 16 yards in the Cowboys’ 27-20 win over the New York Giants, but two of the catches had a big impact on the game.

The former Oregon State Beavers star caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Cooper Rush, the offense’s first touchdown of the game.

The catch was one of the few passes Cooks had ever caught from Rush. The last time Cooks was on the field, Dak Prescott was the quarterback throwing passes. Prescott had season-ending hamstring surgery in November, and when Cooks returned after missing seven straight games with a knee infection, he needed to develop chemistry with Rush.

“I just think it’s a leap of faith with (Cooper Rush) to trust that I could pick it up and run under it,” Cooks told dallascowboys.com.

Cooks made an even bigger and more impressive catch as the Cowboys held on to a 27-20 lead late in the game.

Facing a third-and-2 from their own 38 with two minutes left in the game, the Rush fired a pass to Cooks near the right sideline. Cooks made a diving catch just beyond the line for a first down, allowing the Cowboys to run out the clock and seal the game.

“Wow. What a catch,” Fox Sports analyst Tom Brady said on the telecast. “A-plus-plus from one of my favorite players.”

Cooks said he appreciated the trust head coach Mike McCarthy had in him to call the play and Rush to throw.

“I think it’s huge to be trusted in a situation like that,” Cooks told dallascowboys.com. “Coop trusts me and Coach trusts me with the play-calling.”

The confidence and chemistry could grow as the Cowboys (5-7) try to keep their playoff hopes alive in the final five games of the season. Cooks, who will be a free agent after the season, hopes to continue to make his presence felt.