The Dallas Cowboys thought they were prepared when they came to the joint practice with the New Orleans Saints. Their defense had passed its first few tests in practice, then against the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks. But the Saints had a curveball that could undermine head coach Brian Schottenheimer’s plans for the season

The joint practice turned from chippy to violent in a matter of moments. And right at the center of one moment was Prescott. 

“A near riot almost broke out on the other field. Also Chase Young and Dak Prescott exchanged some words. But it’s all good,” reported Dallas News analyst Calvin Watkins. 

Now, Prescott isn’t one to get into brawls on the field. In fact, since his Panama City brawl ten years ago, he has steered clear of altercations. Yet, he was forced to get involved this time. 

Multiple clips on social media captured Prescott being visibly upset. In one of them, shared by The Athletic’s Jon Machota, Prescott seemed to be in an exchange with New Orleans players before walking off and talking to another one, making a punching motion before pointing to the group he left. But what would push Prescott into making such a gesture? 

Let’s go back to the beginning of the session. When both teams arrived, things looked relatively peaceful. Prescott was chatting with Saints Kellen Moore. But just after a few drills, it was clear that this wouldn’t be like the Rams joint session. 

The first hint of this was when Saints WR Baron Brown stiff-armed Julius Wood, a gesture the safety didn’t appreciate. He responded almost immediately after, tackling Brown to the ground on the following snap. But it would just get worse from here. 

This time, it was the Cowboys offense getting dusted up. RB Javonte Williams was sent to the ground during a tackle that seemed like Williams was getting punched by a Saints player. While both sides shoved each other, they quickly separated, but not for long. 

Shortly after, Cowboys linebacker Donovan Ezeiruaku went after multiple Saints offensive linemen, who retaliated by pushing him to the ground. This time, things escalated, with center Erik McCoy tossing Ezeiruaku’s helmet across the field. It became a defining moment for the rest of the session because, not long after, Ezeiruaku didn’t hold back.

A few plays later, he threw a couple of punches, including one at McCoy, who had just tossed his helmet. And for the second time in the training camp, Ezeiruaku was ejected because of his on-field brawls. That should have been enough to keep both teams in line. After all, the only alternative was calling off practice. Yet, both teams took it up a notch. 

Cowboys CB Caelen Carson and Saints WR/TE Brock Rechsteiner traded shoves and punches before Jalen Thompson got himself involved. After pulling on Rechsteiner’s facemask, Rechsteiner responded with what seemed like a wrestling move and put Thompson right into the ground. 

The total tally of the fights, brawls, and dust-ups in the day quickly went up into the double digits. And while both coaches discussed potentially calling off the session, they decided against it. 

What We Learned From the Joint Practice

Despite a tough outing against the Saints, one thing became clear: this group stands for each other. Right from the moment Javonte Williams went to ground to Jalen Thompson stepping in for Carson, the Cowboys showed they weren’t afraid of showing up for their team. It’s the same message the coach emphasised. 

“A little chippy,” head coach Brian Schottenheimer said about the fight-filled session, per Machota. “Not the way we like to do business. Gotta be better. But I gotta look at the film. We’re certainly not gonna take s— from anybody. But, again, it was chippy on both sides. Like I said, I want our guys to play on the edge without going over the edge. One guy seems like he might have thrown a punch, that’s why he left practice. … Ultimately, I’m disappointed— it was sloppy. A sloppy practice.”

And we can see why he called it sloppy. Schottenheimer wants the Cowboys to play a more aggressive and physical style of football, but that doesn’t mean getting into fights. 

If anything, this session might just work in their opponents’ favor. Tyler Shough, the Saints’ QB, completed 18 passes while riling up the Cowboys’ defense with his talk. The Cowboys will need to learn to keep their cool. 

In any case, the bad blood might just carry over to the field as the two sides meet up next on August 28 for Week 2 of the preseason.