Oakland Raiders, Dallas Cowboys Oxnard Practice: Day One Recap

Jul 28, 2014; Napa, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders coach Dennis Allen (right) and quarterback Matt Schaub (8) at training camp at Napa Valley Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

“We talkin’ about practice, not a game, practice!” – Allen Iverson

But this wasn’t just any practice yesterday!

It was a super-intense session between the Oakland Raiders Dallas Cowboys that reportedly had three brawls so you know none of the players want to hear that. Tight end Nick Casa, who was carted off the field with an knee injury early on, doesn’t want to hear that. Then there’s the reported 7,000-plus loud-screaming fans from Southern California, along with Magic Johnson that don’t want to hear that.

There are so many decisions to be made on so many competitions with just three more preseason games to make them. So these players that obviously want to stay employed by their respective teams got turned up to compete with guys they don’t know. It was time to show out for their respective coaching staffs in the first of two joint practices with the Cowboys, as with the stakes, the intensity raised.

With all the roster battles going now, these joint practices are an extra opportunity for rookie to get noticed or veteran to keep his spot. It also lets the coaching staff know what their team is doing and not doing well in various aspects of the game at the moment. And for some of the players that know what their role on the team is, it’s just a chance to hit someone they don’t know as they are tired of hitting each other.

Turn the page to see what we learned from day one.