Dak Prescott Hot 'Like Aaron Rodgers!' How Dallas Cowboys' Brandin Cooks History-Making Play Helps

Dak Prescott Hot 'Like Aaron Rodgers!' How Dallas Cowboys' Brandin Cooks History-Making Play Helps

Receiver CeeDee Lamb caught a touchdown pass for the Dallas Cowboys Thursday, and added a two-point conversion reception in a season that increasingly feels destined for a First-Team All-Pro selection. 

And for Dallas QB Dak Prescott to achieve his own All-Pro-level play? It takes stars like Lamb to carry a load.

But Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy is now saying that Dak's hot hand reminds him of the best of Aaron Rodgers when McCarthy worked with Rodgers in Green Bay ... and it's a good place to note: It can't be all about the superstars.

Great QB play is also about the helpers ... like Brandin Cooks.

Receiver Brandin Cooks had four catches in a Dallas Cowboys win over the Washington Commanders.  / USA Today

In a 45-10 throttling of the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium, perhaps the most positive development from the Cowboys receiving corps was a second strong performance from Cooks in three games. 

Cooks caught four catches for 72 yards Thursday, an average of 18 yards per reception. The highlight of Cooks' performance came on a 31-yard touchdown catch from Prescott in the second quarter. 

Over Cooks' first seven games with the Cowboys, he had seven 17 total catches for 165 yards and two touchdowns. He's come on strong over the last three weeks, though, erasing any narrative of him being a trade bust by catching 16 passes for 287 yards in a trio of wins. 

Cooks' bust-out has somewhat coincided with that of Dak, who in his last six games has thrown 18 TD passes to just two interceptions.

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Additionally, Cooks went over 9,000 career receiving yards in the Thanksgiving Day win. The 30-year-old is the ninth active player with 9,000 career receiving yards, joining Julio Jones, DeAndre Hopkins, Mike Evans, Travis Kelce, Davante Adams, Keenan Allen, Stefon Diggs and Tyreek Hill. 

Ironically, the next closest player to 9,000 career receiving yards is former Cowboys receiver Amari Cooper (8.985), a player whose missed presence last season (Dallas soured on him and trade-dumped him to Cleveland) led in part to Dallas trading for Cooks this past offseason. 

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We mention Adams above. That was Rodgers' guy in Green Bay - his star. But Rodgers also succeeded because wideouts like Randall Cobb and Donald Driver pitched in.

Cooks has come alive against three weaker teams, the New York Giants, Carolina Panthers and Commanders. The Cowboys are about to go into a much tougher stretch, with matchups against the Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions looming. 

But as Dallas prepares for the toughest stretch of their season, it has to be encouraging that Cooks is now performing like a legitimate No. 2 to Lamb. ... and thus helping Dak to perform like - as McCarthy is qualified to testify - Aaron Rodgers.