OXNARD, Calif. — You can only rub two pieces of iron together for so long before you start creating sparks, and then it's just a matter of time before those sparks generate a fire. That is, more or less, the best way to describe what's been seen throughout the entirety of 2023 training camp from the Dallas Cowboys — as the offense and defense built up plenty of friction over the course of nearly four weeks.
And, on the final day of padded practice in sunny California, that friction sparked a wildfire.
"We ain't taking no sh-t from nobody — all 32 teams — we ain't taking sh-t from nobody," said veteran safety Jayron Kearse after practice. "Whether it's our offense or the next offense. We're trying to show we're the best in the business, so it gets spicy out here, it's gonna get spicy on Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays; whenever we line up, that's how we're gonna come."
The afternoon brimmed over with a mix of explosive plays and, on two separate occasions, a scuffle ensued.
The first began when an exchange of words between offensive lineman Brock Hoffman and defensive end Sam Williams, ending with a massive scrum that had to be broken up before defensive coordinator Dan Quinn called a full team huddle to get everyone back on the same page before continuing practice.
That calm lasted for all of 20 minutes, if that.
Not long after the initial kerfuffle, two-time All-Pro linebacker Micah Parsons squared off against Pro Bowl center Tyler Biadasz — the latter being a centerpiece in the initial scuffle — tossing at least two punches toward Biadasz's helmet before being separated and calmed down by two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Dak Prescott.
For his part, it's exactly the kind of fire he's demanding from the Cowboys offense, regularly.
"Hell yeah, I need that," he said. "I'm here to make them better. I push myself to the greater good and me pushing myself is only gonna make them better, at the end of the day. I don't care who I'm up against. I don't care if it's Tyron, if it's Zack, if it's Tyler Smith — I'm gonna beat the hell out of them.
"It's only gonna make them better. … This is where championships get started — right here in camp. The goal is to bring that out, and the camaraderie, to bring it all together. It's only one goal at the end of the day."
By the way, Parsons says his hands are just fine, since you were wondering.
The aforementioned goal for the Cowboys is to finally get over the hump and into the Super Bowl this coming season, and to then hoist the Lombardi trophy when the clock runs down to all zeroes on Feb. 11 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. And, to Parsons' point, the fuel required to reach that destination can't simply be picked after the drive truly begins in Week 1.
The tank needs to be filled in training camp, first and foremost.
"That's just how this thing goes," said Kearse. "When you're going up against a bunch of dogs on the opposite side, it just brings the best out of you. We're just trying to continue to work, and bring those guys along. … When you come out here and you go against us, it's gonna bring out the best in you.
"You're going against Micah, D-Law, you're going against Mazi [Smith], Osa [Odighizuwa], you're going against [Dante] Fowler — you're going against a lot of dogs. It brings the best out of you. … At the end, we're gonna stand up all the time."
The team will now prepare to pack up and fly to face the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, returning to Dallas immediately afterwards, where they'll hold a few more practices before wrapping up their preseason against the Raiders on Aug. 26.
Needless to say, they're leaving Oxnard with a bang this year.
"It's the last practice of camp, man," said Parsons. "You gotta bring all you got. That's what this is about. I told guys before we went out there that this is our Super Bowl [on the line]. It was nothing more than being ferocious and being a dog competitor."
Kearse agrees, and wholeheartedly.
"It's our last day out in Oxnard, and maybe that's what it was," he added. "… Either way, it's all good competition and, come September 10, it's gonna be another team on the opposite side of both [our] offense and the defense, and they're gonna have to take what we're bringing to them."
In other words, bring on the New York Giants, and anyone else who wants a piece.
