Multiple Cowboys players involved in pregame brawl with LA Chargers
By Jerry Trotta
![Aug 20, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brandon Smith (80) catches a Aug 20, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brandon Smith (80) catches a](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3098,h_1742,x_0,y_246/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/129/01hcxf9s90xtm5ecck3s.jpg)
There isn't necessarily a rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and LA Chargers, but tensions flared minutes before kickoff Monday night.
The teams had a joint practice last year during training camp and played each other in preseason without so much has a
During warmups, a couple players from both teams were involved in a shoving match. Defensive linemen Sam Williams, Dante Fowler and rookie Mazi Smith were among the Cowboys involved, though it appears Fowler jumped in afterward to defend his teammates.
This angle of the scuffle makes it difficult to pinpoint what caused tensions to boil over, but a mini brawl broke out and punches were thrown.
The Cowboys and Chargers got into it ahead of #MNF 😳 pic.twitter.com/0y7dVEjsWF
— ESPN (@espn) October 16, 2023
Cowboys and Chargers get into scuffle before Monday Night Football
According to our friends at Bolt Beat, Chargers fans in attendance say the Cowboys ran through Chargers' warm-up lines, which obviously didn't over well. Other reports claim Chargers players stood in the way of Dallas' entrance to the field.
The 49ers have pulled this stunt in the past, including before the Divisional Round of last year's playoffs when they interrupted Brett Maher's pregame routine and before their loss against the Browns on Sunday.
Though this dust-up never got out of control, this angle captured by The Athletic's Jon Machota shows several players from both squads were needed to break it up. Tensions are clearly riding high before Monday Night Football.
Just had a pregame fight between the Cowboys and Chargers pic.twitter.com/GOqRdYOmMH
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) October 16, 2023
You never like to see punches thrown. At the same time, though, Cowboys fans won't hate to see the team try to impose its physicality on the Bolts after San Francisco outclassed them in that department last week en route to a 42-10 loss.
Let's hope these emotions translate into a high-energy performance, because the Chargers are undoubtedly ready for kickoff. The "Kellen Moore Bowl," as folks have dubbed this matchup, just got a lot more interesting.
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