The Rams have had seven training camp practices so far and even though they’ve gotten in some great work against each other on the field, they’ll get a new challenge this weekend when they head to Oxnard. They have a joint practice scheduled with the Cowboys on Saturday, giving player the chance to face an opponent who isn’t wearing the same helmet.
Sean McVay loves joint practices because they take the level of competition up a notch while still being held in a controlled environment where injuries can usually be avoided. There will likely be a scrimmage of some sort where it’ll be close to a game setting, while also allowing players to go one-on-one against Dallas’ top playmakers.
McVay shared a little bit about what he hopes to get out of Saturday’s session, saying it’ll essentially be a substitute for a preseason game for the team’s starters, who are expected to sit out the preseason.
“We’ll implement a lot of different situations. Coach (Mike) McCarthy has been great about putting together a good practice plan 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,” McVay said Wednesday. “We kind of look at it as in a lot of instances, these practices kind of serve as supplemental or substitutes, if you will, for the preseason games because of the approach we take. It’ll be a lot of different things and good competitive work trying to keep our guys safe but also get a chance to go against somebody else – different defensive scheme, different offensive scheme. Get a chance to go against ‘Bones’ (John Fassel) and the things he does in the kicking game, so that’ll be fun.”
This will also be Raheem Morris’ first chance to call plays against a different offense than the Rams’, which is an important step for the new defensive coordinator. He’s excited about this opportunity and the increased level of competitiveness on the field.
“We’re going to get great work,” Morris said. “Obviously Coach Sean, he emphasizes the ones and those groups. We’ll get a chance to communicate with our opposing team and tell those guys what we want to do and how we want to go get it accomplished as far as the physicality, as far as the tempo, as far as pushing it to a game-like atmosphere as close as possible, really getting great work that day. Although we get it here amongst each other, the last two days have been great, (but) it’s nothing like going against another color, nothing like going against another team and going out there and seeing different plays and different types of deals to get it going.”
The Rams defense is expected to be one of the best in the league, so Matthew Stafford has benefited from going up against them every day in practice. However, as good as it is to compete against Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey and Darious Williams, he’s looking forward to taking on the Cowboys this weekend.
“Just a look at another team, it’ll be a lot of fun,” he said. “I played the Cowboys quite a few times. There’s some new coaches there and some new schemes. So, that’ll be fun to go out there and compete against another team that’s really talented. Year in and year out, a really good competitive team. We’ll just kind of see where we are at that point.”
Stafford and the rest of the Rams’ starters will sit out the preseason, so this joint practice with the Cowboys, as well as the session against the Raiders later in camp will be critical. Those will almost replicate game settings ahead of the regular season, preparing him for what he’ll face in Week 1 against the Bears.