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Cowboys-Saints Practice Turns Chippy, Seven Altercations Erupt

8/19/2026

Summary

Cowboys Saints Brawl

A practice between the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints turned chippy on Tuesday, producing seven altercations that included Erik McCoy tossing a helmet and Donovan Ezeiruaku being ejected after a punch.
Ronnie Bell was carted off for overheating while Alvin Kamara and Quincy Riley left with knee and groin injuries respectively.
Brian Schottenheimer and Kellen Moore called the session sloppy and chippy, prompting a Thursday joint drill with the Los Angeles Rams before the preseason finale on Aug. 28.

Summary

Cowboys Special-Teams Falter

Coach Brian Schottenheimer said the Cowboys' special-teams unit committed five penalties and muffed a punt inside the ten-yard line in the Aug 1, 2026 preseason opener vs Seattle.
The errors yielded 144 yards on six returns, giving Seattle an average starting line of its own 42-yard line.
Schottenheimer called a lengthy special-teams meeting and said correcting the unit will be a primary focus before the next preseason game.

History

Historical Context

The league’s discipline record stretches from the 2007 Spygate scandal involving the New England Patriots, to the 2012 Bountygate sanctions that hit the New Orleans Saints with a $500,000 fine and two forfeited draft selections. Those precedents frame the 2026 Cowboys-Saints preseason fights and the league’s push for tighter preseason oversight.

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Cowboys Saints Brawl

A practice between the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints turned chippy on Tuesday, producing seven altercations that included Erik McCoy tossing a helmet and Donovan Ezeiruaku being ejected after a punch.
Ronnie Bell was carted off for overheating while Alvin Kamara and Quincy Riley left with knee and groin injuries respectively.
Brian Schottenheimer and Kellen Moore called the session sloppy and chippy, prompting a Thursday joint drill with the Los Angeles Rams before the preseason finale on Aug. 28.

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