CA’s OXNARD — It doesn’t take long for sparks to fly when you rub two pieces of iron together, and from there it’s just a matter of time before a fire breaks out. That’s pretty much the best way to sum up the Dallas Cowboys’ whole training camp in 2023, as tensions between the offense and defense grew steadily over the course of over four weeks.

And that tension ignited a blaze on the last day of padded practice in sunny California.

Veteran safety Jayron Kearse said after practice, “We ain’t taking no sh-t from nobody — all 32 teams — we ain’t taking sh-t from nobody.” This applies to our offense as well as the following one. We’re here to prove that we’re the finest at what we do, so things get heated anytime we line up—Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays, whenever.

The afternoon was packed with high-energy performances and two different fights broke out.

Offense-lineman Brock Hoffman and defensive end Sam Williams got into an argument that escalated into a large melee that had to be broken up before practice could continue. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn then ordered a full team huddle to get everyone back on the same page.

The peace lasted maybe twenty minutes at most.

The two-time All-Pro linebacker Micah Parsons threw at least two punches toward the helmet of Pro Bowl center Tyler Biadasz, who had been a central figure in the initial scuffle, before being separated and calmed down by the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Dak Prescott.

It’s precisely the type of intensity he wants to see on a consistent basis from the Cowboys’ offense.

“I need that like hell,” he said. I’ve come to improve their lives. The larger good justifies my efforts, and such efforts can only improve things in the long run. I don’t give a hoot about my opponent. Whether it’s Tyron, Zack, or Tyler Smith, I’m going to beat the living daylights out of them.

“It will only serve to strengthen them…. The road to the title begins in camp. The idea is to encourage that kind of interaction and bonding amongst people. In the end, there is just one target.

In case you were wondering, Parsons claims his hands are doing just fine.

The Cowboys’ stated objective for the next season is to go all the way to the Super Bowl and win the Lombardi trophy on February 11 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. And to add to Parsons’s argument, picking the gasoline needed to get there after the real driving has begun in Week 1 is not an option.

It all starts with being fueled up in preseason.

“That’s just how this thing goes,” Kearse remarked. When you’re up against it with a pack of canines on the other side, you have to be at your best. We’re simply trying to keep going and get them on board. Coming out here and fighting us is going to make you stronger.

“You’re going up against Micah, D-Law, Mazi [Smith], Osa [Odighizuwa], and [Dante] Fowler — a lot of dogs. Your whole potential can finally be realized. We’re going to wind up always standing.

The squad will now get ready to pack up and head to Seattle to take against the Seahawks on Saturday, and then return to Dallas for a few more practices before their last preseason game on August 26 against the Raiders.

Obviously, they plan to make their exit from Oxnard memorable this year.

The camp’s final practice, Parsons remarked. Put everything you have into it. That’s the point at hand. This is our Super Bowl on the line, I reminded the boys before we headed out there. It was just being fierce and competitive with other dogs.

Kearse is completely in agreement.

“It’s our last day out in Oxnard, and maybe that’s what it was,” he speculated. “… It’s healthy competition any way, and on September 10 there will be another team facing off against [our] attack and defense, and they’ll have to take what we dish out.

That is to say, let the New York Giants and anyone else who wants in on the action come to the table.