The Big D finally believed it in a Nintendo-esque dream. Two weeks ago, George Pickens grinned through training camp in Oxnard and declared he and CeeDee Lamb were ‘like Mario Bros’. Pickens said this on Aug. 2: “I’m not like a person who looks in the future and like, ‘Oh, I hope it’s like this, ‘Oh, I hope it’s like this,’ I kind of just adjust on the fly. So, right now it’s been going good. Just keep going and keep working.”

But for what it’s worth, the Cowboys finally had their Luigi. A new sidekick to free up Lamb, drag double coverage away, and turn Dak Prescott’s passing attack into the kind of video‑game cheat code Joe Burrow had with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in Cincinnati.

On paper, the idea made sense. Lamb was coming off 101 catches, nearly 1,200 yards, and six touchdowns in 2024 – another season that cemented his top‑five receiver status. Pickens, talented but frustrated in Pittsburgh, had lived on a steady diet of boundary fades and 50/50 balls. Now, in the Brian Schottenheimer era, the 24‑year‑old finally had to run a full route tree. It was optimism at its finest – Jerry Jones finding a way to sell hope in late July.

But Tuesday’s (5th August) joint practice against the Rams brought the reality check. Both Lamb and Pickens got flagged for offensive pass interference. Not once together. But on separate plays. Different routes, same result. In a football sense, they were punished. The Mario Bros idea was meant to spark highlight reels. Instead, it drew yellow flags. Adding insult, the receiver, who actually looked like the star, was neither of them. It was KaVontae Turpin – the speedster Jerry Jones plucked from the UFL.

Turpin torched the Rams’ secondary on back‑to‑back plays, hauling in a rope from Prescott across the middle before ripping down another along the right sideline. He capped the sequence by juking the lone defender left between him and the end zone. For that stretch, Turpin was unguardable.

Now in his fourth NFL season, Turpin is primed for his most involved offensive role yet. After setting career highs in receptions (31), targets (52), and receiving yards (420) last year, The Athletic’s Jon Machota believes that the 5-foot-9 burner will have a bigger piece of the offense. “[He will] be more involved in the offense this year than at any other time over the last three seasons,” The Cowboys plan to use him both out wide and on the ground as he also logged 16 carries for 92 yards in 2024. His numbers may not pop, but the coaching staff sees untapped explosiveness.

So, while Lamb and Pickens both had their moments, the flags undercut the story. Meanwhile, the rest of practice didn’t help Dallas’ case. The run game kept running into brick walls. Hand‑offs turned into pile‑ups, with Rams defenders closing every lane. The Cowboys’ red‑zone offense? That belonged to Los Angeles, too. Prescott was sharp in his two‑minute drill reps, but discipline became an issue as flags piled up on both sides of the ball. For all the Mario and Luigi hype, Dallas walked away looking more like a team still fumbling with the controller. The Cowboys weren’t the only ones tested – this was a physical practice. But where the Rams tightened up, Jerry Jones’ team looked uneven. 

From flags to flaws: Rams out-muscled Jerry Jones’ ‘America’s Team’

Dallas’ corners struggled against Davante Adams, Puka Nacua, and Tutu Atwell, who looked every bit worth his $10 million contract by taking the top off the defense. The Cowboys’ defensive front had flashes – Turner notched a sack, Donovan Ezeiruaku flashed power on a bull rush – but the pressure didn’t come consistently. Rams quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Stetson Bennett mostly had clean pockets, and in the red zone, Los Angeles controlled the tempo.

Dallas did have bright spots. Quarterback Joe Milton launched a 64‑yard bomb to Jalen Brooks, a play that showed off the arm strength that had scouts drooling. Brooks, unfortunately, left with a thumb injury. Perrion Winfrey, another UFL reclamation project, fought through a double team to stuff Kyren Williams in the red zone. Mazi Smith returned from a knee scare and rotated in with the first‑team defense. These were positives, but they felt like sprinkles on an otherwise heavy practice pie.

The bigger picture was harder to ignore. Rams wideouts bullied Dallas’ corners. Their backs picked up blitzes with ease. Their line owned the trenches. Even Garoppolo looked in control, carving up Dallas with quick reads. If Tuesday (5th August) was a game under lights at SoFi, Sean McVay’s team would’ve walked away 1‑0. For Jerry Jones, it was a reminder that joint practices strip away the polish. You can sell Mario Bros duos in July, but August has a way of punishing hype when it meets another team.

The Cowboys left Oxnard with questions. Their receivers taking back flags for lessons. The run game stalled. The defense bent in the red zone. They didn’t collapse, but they struggled. And Jerry Jones’ team will now have to decide whether joint practice was just a preseason bump – or the start of a season‑long pattern.