Cowboys vs. Rams Practice Preview: First Rule of ‘Fight Club’

“It's a thud,” McCarthy said, explaining how there will be contact without tackling. “It’s a professional thud.”

OXNARD, Calif. - What’s the first rule of “Fight Club”?

In the 2021 training camp version for today’s Saturday joint practices between the Los Angeles Rams and the Dallas Cowboys here in Oxnard, the first rule of “Fight Club” is …

“No fighting.”

Said Dallas coach Mike McCarthy: “We have no interest in fights; that’s a waste of everybody’s time. Those days, to me, are over. That’s not what I’m looking for. It definitely will penalize your team if it happens in a game, so why the hell would you do it in practice?”

McCarthy and Rams coach Sean McVay are on the same page here. Starters will oppose one another - so Dallas’ Zack Martin will tangle with LA’s Aaron Donald, for instance - and will get about 70 percent of the work.

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Quarterback Dak Prescott (shoulder) will remain limited to non-throwing drills: Rams QB Matthew Stafford is nursing a thumb ailment and will also be careful.

The highlights might be the 11-on-11 work when the likes of Dallas wide receiver CeeDee Lamb will battle Rams star cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

“McCarthy has been great about putting together a good practice plan," McVay said. "That's going to be reflective of us getting a lot of work. And it will be focused on a lot of our top guys."

As to the construction of the session, which will start at 3 p.m. PT (and will be televised back to DFW), the teams have agreed to a situational script.

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"We'll hit pretty much every situation," McCarthy said. "We'll go right through the script. We'll start with special teams and then we'll have a seven-on-seven red zone, one-on-one D-Line rushing – I know you guys love that drill, so you'll be fired up for that. Then we'll go with the seven-on-seven red zone and a team-backed-up drill, then a team red zone, a team third down. Then we'll have a full move-the-ball segment where you just call it and move the field, put the ball down, and play. Then we'll finish with a two-minute."

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They will “hit” all of that. But as far as actual “hitting,” an issue that led to Rams-Cowboys fights when they practiced together in 2015.

“It's a thud,” McCarthy said, explaining how there will be contact without tackling. “It’s a professional thud.”

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