twitter, etc. on pre-season game 1 + plays & highlights

2nd HALF

Stu Jackson@StuJRams
Konata Mumpfield just caught a pass deflected by a Cowboys cornerback one-handed with his left hand on 2nd and 15. 18 yard gain. That was impressive

Brock Vierra@BrockVierra
After entering the fourth quarter in the red zone, the Rams navigated a holding penalty with Cody Schrader attacking Dallas on the ground and in the air, scoring a needed touchdown. Rams lead 24-6.

Rams Tapes 🇵🇷@RamsTapes
Ronnie Rivers OUT with a rib injury, Konata Mumpfield is questionable with an ankle injury.

ME (at moi.com). RB Cody Schrader just running all over Dallas in back half of the 4th quarter.

Ramblin’ Fan@RamblinFan
Cody Scrader, who already has a 9-yard TD reception. Has just exploded for 3 huge runs that piled up 51 yards

Cameron DaSilva@camdasilva
The Rams kept Cody Schrader on the 53 for the entire 2024 season after claiming him off waivers from the Niners. We’re seeing why today.

Brock Vierra@BrockVierra
BENNETT DOES IT AGAIN! After Cody Schrader ran through Dallas’ defense, following a big return by Brennan Presley, Bennett hit Presley off play action for a touchdown. Rams lead 31-14.

UNREAL interception from Rams 2024 UDFA Cam Lampkin 🤯

Watch live out-of-market games on #NFLPlus
Blackout restrictions may apply pic.twitter.com/t2jUFAQWgm

— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) August 10, 2025

Stetson Bennett just turned A LOT of heads with his performance against the Cowboys.

Bennett finished the game going 16/24 (67%), for 188 passing yards, 2 passing TD’s, 1 INT, and a 100.7 passer rating.

Since training camp has started, Bennett has reportedly “taken significant… pic.twitter.com/CKV8iZeWTK

— Rookie Watch (@RookieWatxh) August 10, 2025

from https://theramswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/rams/2025/08/09/rams-cowboys-preseason-takeaways-game/85596369007/?taid=6898125f5387890001b4c5cb&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=twitter

Running back room is loaded

It’s only the preseason and the Cowboys were playing a lot of backups, but the Rams’ rushing attack looks promising. Blake Corum got the start and rushed for 32 yards on nine carries, scoring two touchdowns. Jarquez Hunter then mixed in as the backup, carrying it 11 times for 41 yards, showing off his physicality as an inside runner.

Then came Cody Schrader, the finisher. He ran all over the Cowboys midway through the fourth quarter, finishing the game with 59 yards on only five carries. He also caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Stetson Bennett to give the Rams a 24-6 lead.

Behind Kyren Williams, the Rams are incredibly deep and rich with talent. Corum is a capable backup, Hunter is a great change-of-pace guy and Schrader is even making a case for a roster spot with the way he played.

Stetson Bennett and the Rams Delivered Victory Against the Cowboys
The Los Angeles Rams opened up their 2025 preseason with a dominant win

Brock Vierra

https://www.si.com/nfl/rams/los-angeles-stetson-bennett-blake-corum-dallas-cowboys

It was an interesting look for the Rams on offense. Mike LaFleur was named playcaller for the contest as AJ Acuri and David Quessenberry got the starts at the tackle position. This was Stetson Bennett’s moment and he came out firing. Bennett routinely found Xavier Smith and it was the special teams ace that proved he’s a dynamic weapon on offense.

It was the Stetson Bennett show in Inglewood.

On the first drive of the game, Bennett hit Smith deep downfield on 4th and six to set up the Rams in the red zone. While Dallas challenged the play, Smith clearly made a difficult reception, finding space for his feet in between the defender and the sideline.

Blake Corum would punch it in for a touchdown a few plays later.

After stopping a Joe Milton-led Dallas offense on their initial drive of the game, Bennett got back to work. After the Rams used a strong rushing attack to batter the Dallas interior, Smith once again burned Dallas deep, resulting in a defensive pass interference call in the red zone.

With Drake Stoops throwing some violent blocks that he was on the bad end of, Corum punched the ball in for his second score of the game, effectively ending his night. When given a moment of daylight, Corum was slicing through the defense like a hot knife through butter. The Dallas defense was melting.

Bennett started strong, having a career high in passing yards in one quarter with 114 yards. He would have had more if Smith wasn’t tackled on the DPI call.

This game was dictated by discipline with the Cowboys having none.

On the Cowboys next offensive drive, Milton threw a deep pass that Shaun Jolly committed defensive pass interferance on. The Cowboys, seemingly in control, would gain the first down. However, they would be backed up after the official, running on the sidelines, collided with CeeDee Lamb (who isn’t playing) as Lamb entered the restricted space.

Then Josh Wallace put the hit stick on Luke Schoonmaker, and was then controversially called for unsportsmanlike conduct for his post hit celebration. Jolly would then be called for a highly questionable DPI penalty again but Dallas would make multiple procedureal penalties before settling for a field goal.

Dallas was lucky as Charles Woods almost intercepted Milton for what would have been a pick six.

The Rams defense was strong with Shaun Dolac, Elias Neal, and Pooh Paul Jr making multiple plays. Dolac and Neal were strong in coverage while Paul was a tackling machine.

On offense, Bennett and the Rams began to stall out, not scoring again in the first half. The Rams defense would hold Dallas to a field goal to lead 14-3 at the break.

The Rams and Cowboys would trade interceptions to begin the second half. However, the Rams defense held strong to hold the Cowboys scoreless, with Malik Dixon-Williams hitting Joe Milton out of bounds a yard before the first down marker. That play was on fourth down, resulting in a turnover on downs.

Bennett would find his form on the following drive with Ronnie Rivers and Cody Schrader helping the Rams score with Bennett hitting Schrader for the score.

Milton would lead a drive downfield and after a heroic effort by the Rams run defense, Milton went to the air for the score. Dallas would convert the two point attempt.

That’s when the Rams locked in to end the game. Brennan Presley had a massive return on the insuing play with Cody Schrader running the Rams into the red zone. Bennett would throw his second touchdown of the game, putting the game on ice.

Game Recap: Cowboys fall to Rams, 31-21

Kurt Daniels
Editor of Dallas Cowboys Star Magazine / Dallas Cowboys Game Program

https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/game-recap-cowboys-fall-to-rams-31-21

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The Brian Schottenheimer era is here as the new head coach guided the Dallas Cowboys in live game action for the first time. But with the team’s starters largely resting comfortably alongside him, his debut didn’t have the preferred outcome, Dallas falling to the Los Angeles Rams, 31-21.

Also making a debut in this one was Joe Milton, who was a bit hit-and-miss in his effort. The quarterback showed flashes of his immense talent, particularly his big arm, but there were just as many misfires as his accuracy proved to be an issue at times. Playing nearly the whole game, he completed 58.6 percent of his passes for 143 yards with a touchdown and an interception to finish with a 68.6 passer rating.

The ground game had better success, though, as the team averaged 5.5 yards per carry. Newly signed Malik Davis racked up 63 yards on seven attempts late in the game while rookie Phil Mafah totaled 36 yards on 10 tries. Mafah would have actually had more if not for some inopportune penalties negating his gains.

Defensively, the Cowboys got off to a shaky start but managed to settle down in the second and third frames, allowing only three points over those 30 minutes of game play. Of course, the unit gave up 28 points combined in the first and fourth quarters as Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett threw for 188 yards with a pair of touchdowns and an interception for a 100.7 rating.

Stopping the run, a problem for Dallas for the last couple seasons, didn’t exactly look any better in this exhibition tilt. Los Angeles stormed for 181 rushing yards on 38 carries, an average of 4.8 yards per carry.

First Quarter

There wasn’t much for Cowboys fans to cheer about in the opening frame as the Rams dominated both the time of possession, 13:26 to 1:34, and total yards, 160 to 1. Those lopsided numbers came thanks to LA drives of 11 plays and then 13, which both resulted in Blake Corum touchdown runs up the middle to give the home side an early 14-0 lead.

Meanwhile, Dallas struggled, going three-and-out on their two series in the quarter.

Second Quarter

The Cowboys’ time of possession and total yards flipped in the second quarter with the team working the clock, 12:06 to 2:54, and outgaining LA, 96 to minus-4. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to get into the end zone. Brandon Aubrey provided the team’s first points with a 35-yard field goal that wrapped up an 11-play 55-yard drive. This came despite Dallas committing five penalties during the drive, including illegal formation flags on right tackle Asim Richards on back-to-back plays.

And after the Dallas defense forced the Rams’ first three-and-out, Milton and company then came right back and began another trek deep into enemy territory, burning off the final 5:52 of the half. The quarterback had completions of 10, 16 and 20 yards and picked up the first down on a fourth-and-1 at LA’s 16.

But the offense could get no closer than the 7-yard line, again turning to Aubrey, whose 25-yarder as the clock hit zeroes narrowed the gap to 14-6 going into the break.

Third Quarter

The second half got underway with a trading of interceptions between the two teams. Milton threw deep into double-coverage, hoping to connect with wideout Ryan Flournoy. Instead, Rams cornerback Cam Lampkin came down with the ball in the end zone.

Not to worry, four plays into LA’s ensuing series, Cowboys cornerback Israel Mukuamu returned the favor, pulling down his own pick.

However, that early excitement didn’t last long as the only points in the quarter came via a Rams’ 37-yard field goal, which upped their advantage to 17-6 heading into the final 15 minutes.

Fourth Quarter

Los Angeles was on the move when the clocked ticked over into the fourth quarter and soon enough the Rams found themselves back in the end zone. Bennett dumped a pass off to running back Cody Shrader, who scampered across the goal line for the 9-yard completion and score.

While the outcome was basically decided, there were still valuable minutes to be played for those fighting for a spot on the Dallas roster. Most notably undrafted rookie free agents Traeshon Holden, a wide receiver out of Oregon, and former Auburn tight end Rivaldo Fairweather.

Seeing his first action of the game, Holden hauled in a 35-yard pass down the right sideline, Milton’s longest throw of the night, before Fairweather capped off the nine-play, 73-yard drive with a touchdown catch in the back-right corner of the end zone. Milton then found another undrafted rookie, Texas Tech wideout Josh Kelly, for the two-point conversion, the score now 24-14.

But the defensive players now in the game for the Cowboys didn’t have quite the same success. After LA returned the kickoff 38 yards to its own 41-yard line, Bennett needed only five plays to find Brennan Presley in the corner of the end zone for the touchdown.

Third-string quarterback Will Grier wound up seeing some action in the fourth quarter when Milton left the game after being sandwiched by a pair of Rams defenders. He appeared ready to rejoin the action, but with a little more than three minutes remaining, his night was done.

Grier managed to not only keep the offense moving, he took care of the scoring himself. On third-and-7 at the Rams’ 8, the quarterback rolled to his right, but unable to find an open target, he then sprinted across the goal line to wrap up the game’s scoring, 31-21.

***

Saturday served as an emotional day for Brian Schottenheimer as he lived out his life long dream of being an NFL head coach. A 31-21 loss to the Rams in the Cowboys’ preseason opener will serve as motivation for he and his team to be better moving forward.

It was an up and down day for second-year quarterback Joe Milton in his Cowboys debut. Details on Milton’s elbow injury, Brian Schottenheimer’s head coaching debut and more following a 31-21 loss to the Rams in the preseason opener.

When the Dallas Cowboys found themselves in trouble at RB due to injuries, they gave Malik Davis a call, and he showed vs. the Rams why that was smart.

Rams Bros.@RamsBrothers
Some takeaways from last night:

• Bennett looks like a real NFL QB, full control of the offense. INT was a smart shot in single coverage, DB made a great play
• Jarquez Hunter has a very noticeable physical presence, definitely a different type of back vs. Kyren/Corum
• Rivers currently odd man out at RB with Schrader in the mix
• Josiah Stewart is going to be a great rotational pass rusher, get-off is undeniable
• Need larger sample size of guys like Dolac, Paul Jr.
• Rams have some fun young depth at DB: Woods, Wallace, Lampkin, Valcarcel

Steve Davies@Bladeswelove
This team is deep….the deepest I can recall in the McVay era. This could be a very special season.