Dallas Cowboys eyeing productive joint practice with Los Angeles Rams without any fights
The Dallas Cowboys will host the Los Angeles Rams for a joint practice Thursday at their training camp headquarters.
The practice will occur three days before the Cowboys visit the Rams for the preseason opener between the two teams at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
It will give the Cowboys a chance to look at their starters and front-line guys against a different team, considering quarterback Dak Prescott and many of the veterans will not play in the preseason all.
Coach Mike McCarthy is looking a clean productive practice against the Rams without any of the fights that commonly occur during these type of settings.
McCarthy has already talked about it with Rams coach Sean McVay.
“I like the way Sean runs his program. We talked early in the spring about working together,” McCarthy said.
The two teams had a productive practice in 2021 with just one brief scuffle between then-Cowboys guard Connor Williams and Rams All-Pro Aaron Donald.
That contrasts to 2015 when a joint practice between the Cowboys and Rams was shut down because of a brawl in the field the spread to where the fans were standing on the sidelines.
Fighting will not be tolerated on Thursday.
“It’s a waste of time,” McCarthy said. “I don’t want guys fighting. That’s not toughness, it’s lack of discipline. We want the work to get to that emotional edge to push each other, but you’ve got to handle those spots. That’s all part of the emotional challenge in the game of football. I’m not looking for that. I know Sean’s not looking for it either. There’s no concern. We want to have a hell of a practice, that’s why we’re working together, and I think the work Thursday will be great.”
Not only will players be removed for throwing a punch, but the NFL will come down hard for fights in joint practices.
The NFL fined the Detroit Lions and New York Giants $200,000 each this month for their joint practice fights.
The fines came after the league sent a memo to all teams last month that fighting and other “unprofessional conduct” will not be tolerated during joint practices.
The Cowboys are looking forward to going against the another team after beating on each other for the past two weeks.
Running back Ezekiel Elliott said its give them a fresh look against a different scheme.
“I think it’s good to see a different style of defense, to see a different defense and a different system,” Elliott said. “I know we have a lot of vets, and vets probably won’t play in the preseason, so it’s good to get some different looks in practice and those joint practices are a different speed — it’s good for us to get those reps.”
