"Against the New York Giants on Dec. 5, tight end Chris Cooley was targeted six times in the first half. In each of the two games since, though, the Redskins quarterback hasn't thrown Cooley the ball once in the first two quarters, waiting until the second half to involve the two-time Pro Bowler in the offense.

Cooley rebounded in Sunday's 33-30 loss to Dallas to score the game-tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter. He finished the game with 62 yards on five catches -- all in the second half.

"Honestly, I didn't have a ton of opportunities in the first half," Cooley said. "I was wide open early on the play that was designed for me -- sack. We had a couple of issues with protection, I stayed in a little bit [to block]. A couple of other plays where guys make plays.

"I know it'd been discussed last week. Kyle [Shanahan, offensive coordinator] came to me in the second quarter and said, 'Look, I'm trying to find a way to get you the ball, man.' So, we're working."

Cooley was an essential part of the passing game down the stretch. His big 27-yard play late in the third quarter kick-started a scoring drive. He put an exclamation point on that possession with a two-point conversion in the third quarter. And on the game-tying drive, he made a 17-yard catch on third down to keep the Redskins alive."