OXNARD, Calif. — For days on end to begin 2025 training camp, the Dallas Cowboys' defense stole the show in one way or another, Matt Eberflus' defense often taking the ball away from Brian Schottenheimer's offense multiple times daily but, on Thursday, in the third padded practice of camp, things changed.
Dak Prescott wasn't perfect, but he used his multitude of weapons to put on a show of fireworks — multiple touchdowns to George Pickens, CeeDee Lamb, KaVontae Turpin and Jalen Tolbert in addition to the offensive line being a wall in front of Prescott — that led to the offense winning the day in wildly impressive fashion.
The unit appears to be turning the corner, and anyone wondering if it's due to Prescott and Co. settling into Schottenheimer's offense or if it's the camaraderie-building exercises and throwing sessions in the offseason, just received their answer.
"I think it's a little bit of everything," said Prescott. "One, obviously, it's settling into the offense and then two, it's just being on the same page as you get into little nuances and different ways, and offensive play can be run and attacked. It's about communicating."
The All-Pro quarterback went on to expound a bit more on the communications component.
"I threw the pick yesterday, throwing it to CeeDee, and I was just wondering like pure communication, right?," said Prescott. "Pure communication of if CeeDee looks, that's a catch on his part, but hey there's a valid reason why he didn't look, right? And, so, just talking that out and discussing, like, 'Hey, you're CeeDee, and you're in that position, it's a void, like, I know that's not where 90% of that ball gets thrown, but I'm going to throw that ball to you, right?'"
That wasn't the only instance, however, because his chemistry with Pickens is nearly off the charts already.
"George had one today on like a slant, or a glance," said the three-time Pro Bowler. "It was just his tempo getting into there, that that could not be a great play if he doesn't tempo that in there, and I'd have to get off of that. All that just comes with the camaraderie.
"The better the camaraderie is, the easier those conversations are to talk, and to correct people on, and the more that we get these in the offense, the more we're going to feel jelled into each other and just getting out there and playing fast and not thinking."
The onus will now be on the Eberflus' defense to adjust and try to figure out ways to halt their offensive counterparts, in what has become quite the heavyweight bout in Oxnard.
Ding ding.
