The Dallas Cowboys asked for the kind of attention that comes with big expectations, and Tuesday’s joint practice against the Los Angeles Rams gave them a chance to answer for it.
They answered loudly.
Against a Rams team widely viewed as a Super Bowl favorite, Christian Parker’s defense showed up with a performance that turned heads around the field. The biggest headline belonged to Justin Barron, who picked off three passes, but he was hardly alone. Dallas brought pressure, disrupted throws, and made Matthew Stafford’s day far more frustrating than comfortable.
According to Patrik Walker of DallasCowboys.com, Stafford “really struggled” to sort out Parker’s coverage, and his successful plays were “outnumbered” by Cowboys pass breakups, throwaways, and off-target throws.
Walker also said Parker “ schemed his a-- off”, and the results backed that up: at least four sacks, three interceptions, and a Rams run game that never found much room to breathe.
That matters because this wasn’t some ordinary offense on the other sideline. McVay’s group ranked second in EPA per play last season, while also finishing first in success rate, third in dropback EPA, fourth in rush EPA, second in dropback success rate, and first in rush success rate, per RBSDM.
Of course, McVay almost certainly kept parts of the playbook under wraps. Joint practices rarely feature everything, and the Rams do not allow video during team drills, so there wasn’t a hidden stash of secrets being handed to the rest of the league.
Still, it’s hard to ignore the difference between this showing and what happened the last time these teams met in a joint practice. Dallas was not competitive then. By every account, Tuesday looked nothing like that.
And it wasn’t just Barron making noise.
Donovan Ezeiruaku added a sack. Shavon Revel forced a fumble and had two PBUs.
DeMarvion Overshown and Dee Winters both made multiple plays at linebacker. Quinnen Williams, who just signed a $105 million extension with Dallas, also got Stafford on the ground.
No one is crowning the Cowboys an elite defense off one practice. But after what this group looked like against the Rams a year ago, simply holding its own against one of the league’s best offenses is a major step.
Christian Parker’s unit didn’t just survive the test. It made life difficult, played with purpose, and gave Dallas something it has been missing on that side of the ball.
For Cowboys fans, that’s enough to start dreaming a little.
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Sean McVays praise added a little more credibility to what Dallas has been building, with the Rams coach pointing to the Cowboys changes and singling out players such as Justin Barron and Shavon Revel for standing out. The front seven in particular has looked improved, and while preseason reps do not settle anything, they can at least tell you whether a defense is trending in the right direction. For the Cowboys, this one felt like a meaningful step. [Read more 🡒]