OXNARD, Calif. – Sunday's Cowboys practice was one of the more lively between the offense and defense during team periods, with plenty of back and forth on and off the field.
To start, Christian Parker's defense was dominating the practice, making it difficult to run, providing sticky coverage and forcing a few turnovers.
The Cowboys' offense responded as the afternoon went on, however, with two deep passes from Dak Prescott to CeeDee Lamb being the exclamation point.
Here are some more takeaways from Sunday's practice:
- Locke Is Key: Early on in training camp, PJ Locke battled a minor injury that held him out of more than one practice. But if you're wondering if that cost him time in acclimating to Christian Parker's scheme, don't. It's evident the two have chemistry from their time spent together in Denver, and when Locke dropped back and intercepted Dak Prescott in the end zone during a red zone drill today, it became instantly clear that Locke will be a key piece for the defense this year. - (Patrik Walker)
- Intense Situation – The ideal practice for any head coach would be what Brian Schottenheimer got from his team on Sunday. The offense won some reps, the defense won some reps, the intensity was sky-high to the point it seemed a fight was near … but yet cooler heads prevailed every time. And the result was a high-spirited practice that saw plenty of wins from both sides as they likely made each other better in the process. – (Nick Eatman)
- Lamb Talk: After a slow start to the day for the offense, Dallas' first team found some rhythm when Dak Prescott connected with CeeDee Lamb on a deep over-the-shoulder throw that Cobie Durant couldn't get to. Lamb and Prescott connected a few more times over the middle before capping off the team period with another deep throw that Lamb caught for a touchdown in a two-minute drill. – (Tommy Yarrish)
- Dirt Devil - A lot is being said of Tyler Smith and Tyler Booker, as well as Tyler Guyton, and rightfully so, because they're all former first-round picks. But what's flown under the radar is the improvement of Cooper Beebe heading into Year 3. He's quietly been dominant at center in training camp, and if you don't believe me, ask rookie LT Overton — Beebe absolutely dirting the rookie for an eye-opening pancake on Sunday during a would-be touchdown run from Jaydon Blue. - (Patrik Walker)
- Cam Again – For the second straight day, receiver Camden Brown had more big plays. The rookie from Georgia Southern caught a touchdown on the right side, just two plays after he got only one foot inbounds on a pass play to the left. Brown has been the most impressive of the rookie receivers so far in camp. – (Nick Eatman)
- Nowhere to Run: The Cowboys' run defense has been solid all camp, especially in the middle with Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark. On Sunday however, it was the outside linebackers that made some stuffs early in team periods. On the first play of 11-on-11, Donovan Ezeiruaku set the edge, shed a block from Tyler Guyton and made a would-be tackle on Javonte Williams. The very next play, Rashan Gary got behind Tyler Smith quickly and swallowed up Jaydon Blue. – (Tommy Yarrish)
- Familiar Faces – A few former Cowboys were on the field Sunday, including safety James Washington, who played five years in Dallas from 1990-94. The unsung hero from Super Bowl XXVIII caught up with former teammate Nate Newton, who works for the Cowboys media team, along with Isaiah Stanback and Babe Laufenberg. – (Nick Eatman)
