Cowboys vs. Rams Notebook: Dak Throws, Camp Fight, Injury Update
OXNARD, Calif. - Dak Prescott wasn't going to throw, but he did. The Dallas Cowboys weren't going to fight, but they did. Nobody was supposed to get hurt in Saturday's joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams ... and hopefully, in the end, they didn't. Our All-Day Cowboys Camp Notebook ...
DAK THROWS: Prescott's return to throwing was supposed to remain on the shut-down due to his strained shoulder muscle, but he has progressed to some light throwing, Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said.
"He's making a lot of progress," McCarthy said. "Staying back (in Oxnard for the preseason opener against the Steelers) he was able to get some extra treatment and do some extra things. Once again, this is more us than him. This is us being cautious. I feel really good about where he is."
Prescott, who hasn't thrown in practice since feeling soreness in his shoulder on July 28, was originally going to work on just footwork on Saturday. But there was some soft-tossing ... and there was our capturing on video his toss to a lucky fan.
Might Prescott advance in throwing the ball in this final week here in Oxnard?
"We'll just see how his progression goes," McCarthy said. "He's doing some things as far as the throwing. Everything's on a rep count, so we'll just see how he progresses."
At this point, do not look for Prescott to participate in the Friday preseason game at Arizona.
LAMB STARS, AMARI SITS: CeeDee Lamb makes a standout play or two every single day in camp. Saturday proves that isn't just about his ability to victimize Dallas corners.
Lamb did it at least twice against the Rams here, drawing oohs and ahhs from the packed audience of 2,400. But nobody is surprised anymore.
“I don’t think there hasn’t been a day where he hasn’t made a big play, so he’s been very consistent this camp,” McCarthy said.
Meanwhile, the Amari Cooper plan isn't what many think it is - according to Cooper himself. A couple of days? No, Amari told 105.3 The Fan - a "couple of weeks'' before his ankle is just right.
FIGHT!: Rams superstar defensive tackle Aaron Donald and Cowboys offensive lineman Connor Williams sparked a near-brawl when during one-on-one pass-rush drills, Williams' success seemed to frustrate Donald. Facemasks were grabbed. Bodies were dragged to the ground.
Though it was a violation of the rules of "Fight Club'' - as was another incident involving Dallas running back Tony Pollard - nobody got hurt.
“I didn’t think it affected our ability to get the work in that we wanted, and that was the goal for today,” Rams coach Sean McVay said.
INJURY UPDATE: In addition to the Amari Cooper news, Cowboys QB Cooper Rush is dealing with a shoulder injury that will “need a couple days,” McCarthy said. Also, the Cowboys believe defensive end Tarell Basham's ankle injury is a minor one, and are checking on the ankle of defensive tackle Neville Gallimore, hoping for the same diagnosis.
MISCELLANEOUS: DFW product Matthew Stafford has a sore thumb but he did work at QB for the Rams, who view their trade pickup from Detroit as a Super Bowl puzzle piece ... Ezekiel Elliott keeps showing an ability to turn the corner, this time against "enemy'' defenders ... Cornerback Maurice Canady continues to make plays and is pushing his way onto the 53 ... Coaches believe No. 2 QB Garrett Gilbert had a solid day of practice ... Michael Gallup was a red-zone winner ... Tight end Dalton Schultz was excused from the session due to personal reasons ... Another good reason to kill preseason games? “It’s a safer environment than playing in a game and you can get a lot done," said McCarthy of the controlled joint practice.
THE FINAL WORD: "Listen, we're not out there trying to start fights, but we're also not going to sit there and get pushed around. My understanding is something happened, and we're not going to take it. It's one of those things." - Zack Martin.
