Beat up Rams explain why joint practice with Cowboys is so important
The first joint practice against a defense that featured two elite pass rushers did not go well for the Rams.
Now, four days after Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack of the Chargers helped ruin the Rams’ day, quarterback Matthew Stafford will look across the line of scrimmage and deal with Dallas Cowboys edge rushers Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence.
And Stafford once again will take snaps behind a depleted offensive line.
On Thursday, there will be no tackling during the joint practice in Oxnard, but a Rams offense also without injured receiver Puka Nacua will be challenged to avoid the tipped passes, batted balls and interceptions that permeated the workout with the Chargers.
The Rams know Parsons well. In 2022 he recorded two sacks and forced a fumble in a victory over the Rams at SoFi Stadium. Last season, he had a sack and three quarterback hits in a victory over the Rams in Arlington, Texas.
Injured Puka Nacua will miss joint practices, preseason games and most of camp, but Rams coach Sean McVay said the receiver will be ready for the season opener.
“When you get into real Sundays, you set your game plan around guys like him,” Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said Wednesday, adding, “It’s going to be good work for our guys and so we’ll see what guys are going to step up and do what they can against him.”
The Rams remain without injured tackles Alaric Jackson (ankle) and Rob Havenstein (ankle) and left guard Jonah Jackson (shoulder).
So Stafford will operate behind a line that is expected to include center Steve Avila, guards Zach Thomas and Kevin Dotson and tackles Joe Noteboom and Warren McClendon Jr.
The Rams defense will face a much greater test against the Cowboys than the offense they encountered against the Chargers and backup quarterback Easton Stick, who worked in place of injured Justin Herbert.
Against the Cowboys, veteran Dak Prescott will be under center. That means a defense that features young linemen such as Kobie Turner and rookie Braden Fiske and edge rushers Byron Young and rookie Jared Verse will face a quarterback who makes reads faster and gets passes out quickly, veteran outside linebacker Michael Hoecht said.
“It will be a good test for us against a guy who’s played a ton of football in the NFL and is a really good quarterback … who knows how to manipulate pockets and move guys off with his eyes,” Hoecht said. “It’s going to be fun to see a bunch of young guys go against a top tier quality quarterback like that.”
The Rams secondary will not face Cowboys star receiver CeeDee Lamb. The Cowboys placed Lamb on the reserve/did not report list Tuesday. Lamb has been holding out while seeking a new contract.
The Rams will briefly return to Cal Lutheran before they eventually move into their new Woodland Hills facility, which could be a challenging shuffle.
Thursday’s practice is the second of four joint practices for the Rams. They will practice with the Chargers again on Aug. 14. They also will practice with the Houston Texans on Aug. 22.
In the last few years, the Rams practiced on two consecutive days with another team. This year the Rams and other teams opted for a one-day format, in part, to avoid fights that often broke out on the second day of workouts.
The NFL this week fined the Detroit Lions and the New York Giants $200,000 because of fights that broke out during two joint practices between the teams.
“All NFL clubs were reminded in a memo sent last month that fighting and unprofessional conduct at joint practices would not be tolerated,” the league said in a statement Wednesday, according to an Associated Press report.
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