Tuesday’s joint practice between the Dallas Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints wasn’t just “chippy,” it was an absolute war zone, boiling over multiple times with tempers absolutely flaring. We’re talking about multiple skirmishes on the field, a practice session where both sides struggled to even focus during the early going because things kept exploding.
“Not Going to Take S–t From Anybody”
You gotta love a coach who backs his guys, even when they’re getting a little too heated. Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer, who’s in his second year leading the team, didn’t shy away from what went down. He made it crystal clear after the session: “We’re going to play on the edge and we’re not going to take s–t from anybody.” Talk about setting a tone, right? This isn’t just about tough talk, it’s about a mentality his team is building, even if it got a little out of hand.
Now, Schottenheimer isn’t totally letting his squad off the hook for the chaos. He was quick to admit that the Saints weren’t the only ones stirring up trouble. “But at the same time, I don’t think [the Saints] were the only ones stirring up the s–t. I think we might’ve been stirring it up as well. It was a sloppy practice all and all and it’s got to be better.” That’s real talk from a coach who wants that fire, but also wants his players to keep it between the whistles. When you’re losing focus because you’re tangled up in fights, that’s not helping anyone.
A Body Slam, Coaches on Edge, and What’s Next
You know things are wild when an actual body slam happens in practice. That’s exactly what went down when Saints undrafted rookie receiver Brock Rechsteiner, who happens to be the son of WWE Hall of Famer Scott Steiner, absolutely laid out Cowboys safety Jalen Thompson onto the turf. This wasn’t some minor shove; this was a wrestling move in the middle of a football practice! You can bet that moment sent a shockwave through both teams.
The intensity got so high that Schottenheimer actually talked with Saints head coach Kellen Moore about whether to call off the entire practice. “We kind of had agreed that if a couple of other things happened, we would cancel it, but they worked through it,” Schottenheimer said. They managed to finish, but the coach was clear about the disciplinary issues. “Again, they settled into it, but again, there’s a discipline element to playing this football game, and unfortunately we didn’t handle that very well today.” That’s a huge flag for these teams. You want the physicality, but you need the control, especially in an early season practice.
The Cowboys and Saints won’t have to wait long for a rematch, though. They’re scheduled to meet again on August 28 for their final preseason game. You better believe both teams will be walking onto that field with an extra chip on their shoulder, motivated to get the best of one another after this contentious practice. Get ready, because that’s not going to be just any preseason game.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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