LA Rams will clash with the Cowboys this offseason before Game 1 in preseason

How 'bout dem Cowboys? If you have paid attention, the LA Rams know that they could face the Dallas Cowboys at some point in the 2025 NFL Playoffs. This team also knows that the team will compete against the Dallas Cowboys in Game 1 of the 2024 preseason. That preseason game will be played at home at SoFi Stadium at 1:25 pm PT on Sunday, August 11, 2024. That is just over two months away.

Time flies when you are having fun.

For the young LA Rams, pitting this team against the Dallas Cowboys in joint practices in the off-season makes a lot of sense. For starters, the Rams last held joint practices with the Cowboys in 2021. If you recall, that was the year that the team went on to win Super Bowl LVI. So, why not get the 2024 season off to the same quality of start for another Super Bowl run?

While you unlikely to see the Rams projected starters in preseason contests, the team has managed to schedule controlled scrimmages with other NFL teams in joint practice sessions that have allowed the team to coordinate game-like conditions for starters ahead of the regular season. Those controlled scrimmages rely upon scripted down and distance scenarios, and afford both teams a chance to involve their primary players. Those scripted plays are controlled to minimize the risks of injuries, while still allowing contact to get players up to speed.

Game 1 of the preseason typically features players who are not designated starters for the team this season:

While the Rams and Cowboys are not scheduled to face one another this season, this joint exercise will certainly give the team's young roster a chance to face a playoff-caliber opponent in a learning environment. It's the off-season, so the Dallas Cowboys are at their peak. One prediction has them set at a 13-4 prediction this season, including sweeping the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants.

While I believe that the Dallas Cowboys will have a successful 2024 season, I am not nearly as high on their chances this year.

Fans are eagerly anticipating that first preseason game, but perhaps not for the reasons you might expect. Based on who participates in Game 1 in preseason, and who doesn't, fans will get a pretty clear picture of who will be starting for the team this year. Unlike many teams, the Rams deploy backups and players on the roster bubble in preseason games. That strategy not only puts a lot of video footage out there to aid players sign with new teams if they are released, but it ensures that starters will open the new season with as few injuries as possible.

The Rams roster is relatively deeper this year than previous seasons, which should ensure some talented players will be on the football field to compete against the Cowboys. That should make this year's contest fun to watch.

As always, thanks for reading.