FRISCO, Texas – The conversation may have lasted a few minutes, but it was meaningful.

Two days before the Dallas Cowboys beat the New York Giants on Thanksgiving, Cooper Rush and Brandin Cooks discussed the intricacies of a path that would ultimately ensure the Cowboys’ victory.

As the Cowboys entered the drive with a seven-point lead with 2:18 left to play, coach Mike McCarthy knew he would go into the game if they were faced with a third-and-short situation. In fact, after the two-minute warning expired, the Cowboys were staring at third-and-2 from their 35.

No one would give away the secrets of what Rush and Cooks were talking about, but they scored a three-yard drop and a first down that allowed Dallas to run out the clock.

“Coop wanted to make sure, ‘Okay, hey, if this happens, is this what you think?'” said offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, listening to the two talk on the practice field. “And Brandin said, ‘I think so, and here’s how you know.’ Just one of the cooler things I’ll remember when it comes to a big play that kind of kills the game.”

The discussion and outcome speak to the comfort Rush feels as he begins his fifth game of the season as the Cowboys’ starting quarterback on Monday against the Cincinnati Bengals (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC), filling in for the injured Dak Prescott .

When Prescott was quarterback, Rush took mental notes and listened as Prescott talked to the receivers about what he wanted and what they liked. After four games and about a dozen practices and walk-throughs, Rush is able to talk the talk.

“There’s a rhythm to being in the starting lineup all week and then obviously being out there on game day,” Rush said. “I wouldn’t say ‘get the rust off,’ but it’s definitely a nice feeling to be back out there. It’s human nature. It’s completely natural. You can prepare whatever you want, but game representatives are game representatives.”

CeeDee Lamb said Rush’s “confidence, decision-making ability and attitude” have improved since taking over. He speaks to the recipients regularly, and if he needs further messages, Lamb will also go to the group.

“Coop does a great job of keeping the cart moving,” Lamb said.

While backup preparation may be the same as starter preparation, there are differences. The backup doesn’t have much of a voice in the game plan, but now that he’s the starter, Rush is speaking up.

“There are certain things that he might like differently than what Dak likes, and so, okay, that might move up or down based on those conversations,” Schottenheimer said. “And the longer we go, I think he becomes more comfortable voicing his opinion and saying, ‘Hey, let’s maybe move this to a different situation, ‘I like it, I don’t love it.'”

In Rush’s first six starts of his career in 2021 and 2022, Kellen Moore was his playcaller. Now it’s McCarthy. While there is a sense of what McCarthy likes as a playcaller, nothing beats on-field experience in a regular season.

McCarthy and Rush will hold the same meetings as the coach and Prescott on Thursday night to discuss the game plan.

“I think the importance of the meet is just showing the confidence and the connection that you have with the playcaller and the quarterback,” McCarthy said. “And then I want his input because I learned in 2000, my first year as a playcaller, that you love plays.”

“There are things you look at all week, I can’t wait to call them, and then you’re sitting there on a Monday morning and the quarterback says to you, ‘You know, I just haven’t had that all week felt like that.’ ‘Maybe I could have used a few more repetitions.’ I always thought that was an indictment of me as a playcaller.

And that brings us to the game-winning play against the Giants.

During the week, Rush and McCarthy knew the play would play a key role in their third-and-short calls. Then came the practice briefing with Cooks about the nuances the receiver would use to pressure the defensive back while the tight end pushed vertically to create more space.

When the play was called, Rush knew he was going to Cooks. There’s a slight problem with waiting for Cooks to clear the extra space. The throw was placed outside the defender in a spot that only Cooks could catch.

The Cowboys had the first down and the win.

The process worked.

“Brandin always says something in walk-throughs and stuff, and when you make a mistake or questions come up, he always says, ‘That’s why we do it,'” Rush said. “That’s why you’re here all week, that’s why you work. We went through it a few times in training and one day he made a move that I wasn’t actually ready for and we talked about the timing. “That’s just being a professional.” And this guy has done it everywhere he’s been and you can see why he’s still doing it at a high level.