Defense gets best of offense in goal-line work
OXNARD, Calif. – For eight plays, real football broke out at Dallas Cowboys training camp.
Almost.
Ezekiel Elliott and a few starters were not involved in the goal-line situational work Saturday, but there was live blocking and tackling for the first and only time in camp.
The defense got the edge, holding the fort on the first-team offense in three of four reps. Bo Scarbrough powered his way into the end zone on the first play from scrimmage following Pro Bowl right guard Zack Martin, but the defense was able to force a Dak Prescott incompletion on a bootleg and then stone Scarbrough in the hole two more times.
The second-team defense got two stops off the bat, but then Cooper Rush found fullback Jamize Olawale in the flat and Jordan Chunn snuck into the end zone on a run to the left.
“Goal line, we got stuffed a couple times, so we’re going to have to look at that,” Martin said, “but short-yardage was definitely better than goal line … It’s a little taste of the game. We don’t get many opportunities during the season at that situation, so those reps are huge for us.”
On to the observations:
** Perhaps for the first time in his career, Pro Bowl center Travis Frederick got into a scuffle in practice. Apparently DT Antwaun Woods did not like something Frederick said during one on one pass rush drills. “I don’t know what happened,” Frederick said. “Things get hot and heated. It can be a good thing because you want to tote that line at all times.”
Martin, however, went all WWE, looking like he came off the top rope, jumping on the pile.
“I got some air I think, didn’t I?” Martin said.
** In the last three competitive 11 on 11 sessions of the last two practices, Dak Prescott has nine straight incompletions. He closed Thursday’s practice by going 0-for-6 and was 0-for-3 on passes short and deep to WR Cole Beasley and then a low throw to Michael Gallup. Through six padded practices, Prescott is 58 of 78 in camp.
Prescott’s best play of the day came in the short yardage work on a bootleg to his right. He lured LB Joe Thomas to him at full sprint to find TE Blake Jarwin for the first down near the sideline with a little pop pass.
** Martin was right on the short-yardage work to start practice. Elliott was sharp, busting through the line behind Frederick and Connor Williams for a first down. He then went up the middle getting to the hole before S Jeff Heath. He closed it by a zone read look and putting a move on S Xavier Woods.
** If there was a defensive player of the day it would have been undrafted CB Charvarius Ward. He intercepted Prescott on a deep ball to Gallup in one on one drills, catching back up to the play on the slightly underthrown ball. He broke up a deep ball from Rush to Lance Lenoir and then closed it out with by forcing Tavon Austin close to the sideline on a go route, leaving Rush without an avenue to throw the ball.
** The most impressive part of the aforementioned deep throw to Beasley in situational work from Prescott? Seeing LB Jaylon Smith stride for stride with the speedy receiver.
** CB Chido Awuzie left practice during seven on seven work with some kind of leg/groin injury, but I’m told he is OK. After the play, Awuzie jogged off the field with a slight limp. After practice he said he was getting treatment.
** WR Noah Brown (hamstring) returned to practice. WR Allen Hurns worked through some individual drills. WR Deonte Thompson and LB Sean Lee worked through the resistance training with associate athletic trainer Britt Brown. DEs Taco Charlton (shoulder) and Charles Tapper (sick) also returned to practice.
** DE Tyrone Crawford was upset with getting beat by LT Tyron Smith in pass rush drills to start camp but he gained revenge Saturday, turning the Pro Bowler around much to the delight of his defensive teammates. Crawford was able to get up field and get back under Smith with some power.
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