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Who should USMNT hire to replace Berhalter? Analysing Klopp, Pochettino, Vieira and others

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Who should USMNT hire to replace Berhalter? Analysing Klopp, Pochettino, Vieira and others

U.S Soccer has taken the decision to part ways with Gregg Berhalter after the United States men’s national team’s disappointing showing at the Copa America on home soil. 

The team finished third in their group, with Uruguay and Panama advancing to the knockout stage. With only two years to go until the U.S. co-hosts the World Cup, they have decided to make a change.

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There are plenty of high-profile foreign managers on the market — not least Jurgen Klopp after he left Liverpool this summer — as the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) looks to appoint Berhalter’s successor.  

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“I think now we’re in a better place to have much more of a targeted search where I’ll be more inclined to go hard and go early with specific candidates that I feel meet the criteria that we’re looking for,” said U.S. Soccer’s sporting director Matt Crocker.

Asked if speaking English was still a criteria for the position, Crocker said: “I think effective communication is critical when you need to get a message across to the players. That hasn’t changed. And we’ll be considering a really wide pool of candidates. I’m already on that straightaway. Our intention is to continue with that process.”

Here are some of the possible candidates to replace Berhalter, and the style of football they might bring to the USMNT set-up. Who would you like to see take over?


Jurgen Klopp

Jurgen Klopp favours a high defensive line and a high press designed to win the ball back at the earliest opportunity when possession is lost — as shown by The Athletic’s playstyle wheel below, which outlines how a team look to play compared with Europe’s top seven domestic leagues

It’s high risk, high reward — always playing on the front foot, always trying to seize the initiative. Caution is not a word in the 57-year-old’s vocabulary. Looking at their “Patient attack” metric below (23 out of 99), it’s clear Klopp likes his side to go for the throat and punish the opposition as soon as possible.

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Klopp would be a breath of fresh air tactically and man-management wise, he’s already proven he can get the best out of talent across the board — fostering a sense of unity and togetherness. 

The USMNT’s roster could appeal to him too. Take, for example, the blistering attack which won so many plaudits at Anfield. Klopp’s Liverpool were at their best with a high-energy, hard-running front three, and attackers such as Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi could, in theory at least, be appealing to the German.

With all those players, and indeed most of the USMNT’s main men, playing in Europe, Klopp would also be familiar with their leagues and the tactical systems they operate under at clubs.


Gareth Southgate

Gareth Southgate has overseen a transformation of England’s reputation since he took the role as national team manager in 2016.

While fans might have grown frustrated by Southgate’s lack of tactical invention with such a talented squad of players, the 53-year-old has shown a ruthlessness to his character in recent months — most notably leaving the experienced Jordan Henderson and Marcus Rashford from his long list of 33 players for the European Championship.

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(Carl Recine/Getty Images)

While Southgate has favoured a back four system in recent years, he has shown flexibility in adapting to a back three — often as a counter-measure to the opposition setup, as shown in England’s matches against Switzerland and Netherlands as they reached the Euro 2024 final.

International football is tactically and qualitatively different from club football, meaning the remit is less about the day-to-day coaching and more about the long-term vision of the national team. Southgate may have been criticised for his tactical acumen at times, but his near-ambassadorial presence is a valuable asset that should not be underestimated at international level.

Neither should his willingness to take qualified risks with gifted but inexperienced players. Kobbie Mainoo, 19, and Adam Wharton, 20, were included in his current squad on the adage that they were good enough and so old enough, and Americans such as the 20-year-old Chelsea goalkeeper Gaga Slonina might feel their prospects of a World Cup spot increase. So too may 14-year-old Manchester City-bound prodigy Cavan Sullivan, who will be the same age as Spain’s Lamine Yamal is now when the 2026 tournament begins.


Mauricio Pochettino

Mauricio Pochettino’s preferred style is grounded in high intensity and pressing, and Chelsea’s numbers for last season point to a side that did not step off when out of possession (intensity: 89 out of 99).

Issues in both penalty boxes were a key narrative of Chelsea’s season under Pochettino. Their underlying chance creation (83 out of 99) was strong, but it seemed to come at the expense of a dreadfully poor defensive record (chance prevention: 32 out of 99). Chelsea’s 1.4 non-penalty expected goals conceded per 90 minutes invariably gave them a mountain to climb in each match, and Pochettino struggled to find that balance for a lot of the season.

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As unglamorous as it may sound, international football is grounded in having strong defensive foundations first and Pochettino did not showcase that in his most recent time in the dugout.

Such shortcomings would naturally put more focus on the individual quality of the back line and goalkeeper; areas where the current U.S. roster has its problems. Goalkeeper Matt Turner barely played for Nottingham Forest last season and his kicking and distribution were at times questionable at the Copa America. Behind him, Ethan Horvath is a step down in quality again and conceded a poor goal when forced into action after Turner’s injury against Panama.

Then there is a shortage of obvious candidates to replace ageing centre-back Tim Ream and doubts over the strength in depth behind him and Chris Richards. At Chelsea, Pochettino arguably had better defenders and they still struggled.


Thomas Tuchel

Despite a disappointing season relative to Bayern Munich’s standards, the underlying numbers from Tuchel’s side show how dominant they have still been in both boxes. Competing with a history-making, invincible Bayer Leverkusen side was not part of the plan, but Bayern’s 1.6 xG difference per 90 — which accounts for the quality of chances created and conceded — was the best of any side across Europe’s top five leagues.

Tuchel’s tactical acumen is undeniable, but question marks over his temperament might be a factor that works against him. Across his three most recent roles at Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich, he averaged a tenure of one year, nine months and 15 days. International football is different, of course, but if the USMNT is looking for a long-term vision, Tuchel might not be the best man. He is, however, available after leaving Bayern and meeting Manchester United earlier this summer.

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Tuchel celebrates winning the Champions League with Chelsea in May 2021 (Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

There may also be the thorny issue of what Pulisic would make of a Tuchel appointment. The pair worked together at Stamford Bridge and it became clear it was, at times, a strained relationship, with the U.S. captain admitting he was “dumbfounded” at being dropped for a Champions League semi-final in 2021.


Thomas Frank

Thomas Frank, 50, would bring a clear tactical philosophy. His 5-3-2 formation is combative, disciplined, and a nightmare to play against. In the past three seasons, only Brighton have taken more than Brentford’s 35 points against the ‘Big Six’ in the Premier League, with the west London side securing two wins over Manchester City, three over Chelsea, and a 4-0 thrashing of Manchester United.

Equally, his ability to shift his side to a 4-3-3 across the season shows a tactical versatility that would be highly suited to international football, where maximising the strengths of the players at your disposal is paramount.

The fact that Frank has overseen Brentford’s rise into the Premier League for the first time and has now kept them there for three consecutive seasons speaks to the transformative job he has performed. He is an experienced coach and a good motivator boasting long-term success.

He has also spoken of being open to possibilities and this would represent an exciting new one for the personable Dane. His likability and ability to build morale could be welcomed by the U.S. players — especially those, like Gio Reyna, who have at times clashed with Berhalter.

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(Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)

Ralf Rangnick

As the Godfather of gegenpressing, you know what you are going to get with a Ralf Rangnick team. His high-energy, relentless approach has inspired so many coaches who have worked with him, and when asked to describe his playing philosophy during a recent interview for The Coaches’ Voice, the German said, “It’s a high-pressing, counter-pressing football. I would say fast, proactive, attacking, counter-attacking, counter-pressing and exciting.”

Anyone doubting Rangnick’s ability to instil such methods at international level need only to look at Austria’s out-of-possession approach during Euro 2024 this summer. Their 10.1 passes allowed per defensive action (PPDA) — a metric where a lower number denotes a more active pressing approach — shows them to be the most intense pressers of any side in the tournament.

In possession, Rangnick is a believer in possession with a purpose. Where possible, look to pass it forward, and limit those square or backward passes that slow the game down. Fans of New York Red Bulls under Jesse Marsch will be highly familiar with this style, with Marsch a staunch advocate of Rangnick’s gung-ho method of attack.

The U.S. have individuals, such as Pulisic and, at his best, Reyna, who can make things happen while also being athletic enough to press hard in the Rangnick style.

The 66-year-old has experience in international management, having been in charge of Austria for two years.

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Patrick Vieira

While Patrick Vieira’s RC Strasbourg finished 13th in Ligue 1 last season, the 48-year-old recently shared his lofty targets for the future.


Vieira was unveiled at Strasbourg in July 2023 (Frederick Florin/AFP via Getty Images)

​​“The ambition is to play European football in the next three years,” Vieira said on the Stick to Football podcast. “Of course, coming from this year, there is a big turn of young players, and this year was challenging and difficult — we struggled and went through some difficult periods.”

Vieira favours a considered, possession-dominant style of football, but he has rarely had the players to implement it. At Crystal Palace, he had to compromise those plans for an attritional, counter-attacking approach which saw Vieira sacked after a 12-game winless run.

Strasbourg’s playing style looks similarly confused, as Vieira encourages his team to circulate the ball when they have it (82 out of 99) — even if those opportunities are rare (Possession, 17 out of 99) — but his side often lacked the bite at the top end of the field (Chance creation, 41 out of 99).

Vieira’s experience coaching NYCFC in MLS would be a useful headstart to acclimatise to U.S. soccer, but his recent roles have shown that he is still a developing manager compared with the other candidates on the list.

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It is in his old position, central midfield, where the current roster is stocked with talent. Younger prospects such as Real Betis’ Johnny Cardoso and Malik Tillman could learn from one of the best-ever in that role. At the same time, the more experienced trio of Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tim Weah would have a manager who knows exactly what it is like to play in two of Italy’s biggest clubs, AC Milan and Juventus. The USMNT has tried great players as coach before (see Jurgen Klinsmann) to differing effect but Vieira’s CV is among the best.

A World Cup winner in charge for the next World Cup would have to be a potential plus.

(Top photos: Getty Images)

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Unranked teams to watch for in College Football Playoff race: Louisville, UCF and others

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Unranked teams to watch for in College Football Playoff race: Louisville, UCF and others

The AP Top 25 is out and it looked almost identical to last week’s Coaches Poll. At least one unranked team is guaranteed to make the College Football Playoff (no Group of 5 team is ranked), but my hunch is that two sleeper candidates will make it in.

Last year, Missouri finished No. 8 in both polls after going unranked in the preseason and didn’t get a single vote in the AP poll. The year before that, it was TCU that got shut out in the preseason poll and made it to the national title game. The year before that, Baylor finished No. 5, rising from the unranked.

Knowing that kind of history, there are probably six unranked teams with a legitimate shot to crack the Playoff in 2024 if things break right for them.

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The Hokies found their identity offensively in the second half of 2023, winning five of their last seven games. Quarterback Kyron Drones ran all over Tulane in a 41-20 romp over the No. 23 team in the Military Bowl. Drones is an elite athlete who kept improving over the season, throwing 17 TDs and just three INTs.

Tech has a dynamic RB in Bhayshul Tuten — a terrific all-around back with good speed. The receiving corps is deep and athletic with 6-foot-5, 221-pound Da’Quan Felton (No. 22 on the Freaks List) being a matchup nightmare for defenses. Plus, Virginia Tech gets Ali Jennings back. The former Old Dominion star is another big target at 6-2, 205 who only played two games last season before an injury cost him the rest of the year. Brent Pry’s defense has playmakers in the D-line and the secondary. They were No. 2 in the ACC in sacks with 39 and No. 10 in the country. Middle linebacker Sam Brumfield, an instinctive former Middle Tennessee standout, should be a terrific fit to help run the show.

The Hokies do have a tricky six-day stretch of hosting a physical Rutgers team before going to Miami, which will be their toughest road test. They get Clemson at home and don’t face FSU or NC State. I am buying Florida State and Miami, but given all the talent the Noles lost, the ACC feels more wide open this year.

Coaches at multiple stops have gushed about quarterback Tyler Shough’s talent. The challenge has been keeping him healthy for a full season, but if that happens, the Cardinals, with Jeff Brohm running the show, will be dangerous. Shough, who turns 25 in September, has never been able to play more than seven games in a season over the past five years.

The Cardinals have to replace a pair of explosive running backs without Jawhar Jordan and Isaac Guerendo. There is unproven talent there in Maurice Turner, who also has great burst, and 220-pound Miami transfer Don Chaney. They also have to replace WR Jamari Thrash but picked up Alabama transfer JaCorey Brooks for 2024. Defensively, there are seven starters back, led by productive edge rusher Ashton Gillotte, LB T.J. Quinn and CB Quincy Riley from a unit that ranked No. 10 in the country against the run and No. 21 overall. The Cards schedule isn’t easy. They have road trips to South Bend and Clemson and play Miami sandwiched in between two other road games. But if Shough stays healthy, this team has the pieces on both sides of the ball to make a run at 10 wins.

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Iowa State was picked to finish sixth in the Big 12 preseason media poll. (Petre Thomas / USA Today)

Iowa State

Four years ago, the Cyclones finished No. 9 in the country, going 9-3. They stumbled the next couple of seasons but found their stride again despite being extremely young in some key places in 2023. Now, they’re a more seasoned bunch with nine starters back on both sides of the ball, led by sophomore QB Rocco Becht, who Matt Campbell raves about from a talent standpoint and in terms of his makeup. Becht led Iowa State to wins last year at Kansas State and against Oklahoma State, throwing a combined six TDs and zero picks. Sophomore Abu Sama III is an explosive running back while rangy Jayden Higgins, a preseason All-Big 12 pick, leads a deep group of wideouts. Tight end Benjamin Brahmer is another promising young talent coming off an impressive true freshman season.

The Cyclones are salty on defense, led by the safety tandem of Beau Freyler (107 tackles, three INTs in 2023) and Jeremiah Cooper (five INTs). There are a lot of other really solid players back from what was the nation’s No. 7 red zone defense. Domonique Orange, a 6-4, 325-pound D-lineman who benches 450 pounds and has a vertical jump of 34 inches, has the potential to be a dominant force up front. Going to Iowa City to face the Hawkeyes is a big challenge. Just like going to West Virginia, Utah and Kansas.

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UCF

Gus Malzahn knows what he’s doing when it comes to running the football, and his backfield this year has the potential to be lethal.

Arkansas transfer QB KJ Jefferson, a load at 6-3, 250, ran for 21 TDs and almost 1,900 yards in five seasons in the SEC. He’ll be joined by RJ Harvey, who ran for 1,416 yards and 16 TDs last year, and Toledo transfer Peny Boone, another horse at 242 pounds who was the 2023 MAC Offensive Player of the Year. Kobe Hudson (eight TD catches in 2023) and Xavier Townsend are good wideouts and tight end Randy Pittman Jr. looks like a budding star. The offense could be prolific.

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The big question is if new DC Ted Roof gets this defense to slow down the opponent’s run game. The Knights ranked No. 122 last year in rushing defense. Cincinnati transfer Deshawn Pace should help, and so will a ground attack that keeps drives going. UCF has road trips to Fort Worth, Gainesville, Ames and Morgantown and hosts Utah and Arizona. Jefferson beat Florida in the Swamp last year by putting up almost 350 yards of offense.

It seems like an uphill climb but Malzahn’s teams have been able to get on some big runs, and this group feels like it could be capable of doing it too.

The Tigers ended 2023 on a roll beating Iowa State in the Liberty Bowl to cap off a 10-win season. Ryan Silverfield’s program retained its two hottest commodities in QB Seth Henigan (79 TD passes in three seasons) and 6-3, 225-pound Roc Taylor, a dominant wide receiver who ate up Mizzou last year for 143 yards in a narrow loss.

Memphis coaches are excited by what they’ve seen from their running backs this fall in camp; the group is starting to look like the old Tigers RB stable from when Mike Norvell was cranking out NFL backs. Mario Anderson, South Carolina’s leading rusher last year, has been sharp in camp as has versatile UMass transfer Greg Desrosiers Jr. Speedster Sutton Smith is another weapon.

Memphis will get a big test in September when the Tigers visit FSU and Norvell. Don’t write them off, but even if they lose there, they still have games at USF and Tulane which should be good tests for a team that has a big chip on its shoulder after having gone to bowl games 10 years in a row. The Tigers feel primed to win a conference title in 2024 and make a bigger statement.

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Let’s start with running back Ashton Jeanty, the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year in 2023. He is arguably the best back in college football. Jeanty (159.7 all-purpose yards per game) is an elite player who NFL scouts love, especially his receiving skills.

The Broncos’ defense struggled last year and needs to improve, but there is some good talent there, led by DE Ahmed Hassanein (12.5 sacks and 16.5 TFLs in 2023) and LB Andrew Simpson.

The biggest wild card is how the QB situation evolves. USC transfer Malachi Nelson, a former five-star recruit, is being pushed by Maddux Madsen. Whoever emerges will have a really impressive group of skilled talent to take advantage of. The Broncos also have one of the best punter-kicker tandems in the FBS in James Ferguson-Reynolds (49.7 yards per punt) and Jonah Dalmas (10-of-11 from 40-plus yards on FGs).

The Broncos have to go to Oregon in Week 2 and visit UNLV and Wyoming but get both Washington State and Oregon State at home. The game against the Ducks means they might not have any more margin for error, but 11-2 with a respectable score against Oregon might top the rest of the non-Power 4.

(Top photo: Mike Watters / USA Today)

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Titans' Will Levis releases mayo-inspired 'signature scent'

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Titans' Will Levis releases mayo-inspired 'signature scent'

Will Levis’ love for mayonnaise is known.

The Tennessee Titans quarterback signed a lifetime deal with Hellman’s Mayonnaise last year after he went viral for revealing he put the condiment into his coffee instead of creamer or sugar.

Will Levis, #8 of the Tennessee Titans, warms up before the first preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers at Nissan Stadium on Aug. 10, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

On Tuesday, he took his love for mayo a step further.

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Hellmann’s Mayonnaise released “parfum de mayonnaise,” Will Levis No. 8. The company said in a news release fans “can expect bold, savory notes of tart, mayonnaise accord, musk and vanilla with coffee undertones.”

“With the launch of my signature scent, I’ve fulfilled a lifelong dream of partnering with Hellmann’s to craft a fragrance like no other, one truly embodying the distinct scent of greatness,” Levis said in the release. “Rich and creamy, Will Levis No. 8 is more than a mayonnaise-inspired fragrance. It’s transformative. I’ve eaten mayo, drank mayo, and now I can smell like mayo.”

Levis explained to Fox News Digital last year he started to put mayonnaise on his nuggets and sandwiches when he was younger, and it just became a thing.

Will Levis vs 49ers

Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis warms up before playing the San Francisco 49ers in an NFL preseason football game on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee. (AP Photo/John Amis)

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He admitted he had been ridiculed for putting the dab of mayonnaise into his coffee, but he explained that he has tried – sometimes successfully – to get others to at least give the condiment a try.

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“I think it’s obviously because of just going viral for putting it in coffee and trying it that way,” Levis said at the time. “People have brought that up to me and then said like, ‘How could you?’ and things like that. I’ve made an effort from time to time to try to sway people’s opinions on mayonnaise if they have a strong negative one. And I’ve succeeded in that, I think, a few times.

“Getting people to believe they like mayonnaise when they didn’t even know they liked mayonnaise or just putting people on in general. It’s a great condiment, and it’s a very versatile condiment, and it’s probably my favorite condiment.”

Levis is entering his second season and is likely to start the 2024 season as the Titans’ starting quarterback.

Will Levis at camp

Will Levis, #8 of the Tennessee Titans, drops back and throws a pass during Titans Mandatory Minicamp at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park on June 4, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)

He was 3-6 in nine starts. He had 1,808 passing yards and eight touchdown passes in that span.

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Sean McVay says Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett's spot is 'still in evaluation mode'

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Sean McVay says Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett's spot is 'still in evaluation mode'

The season opener against the Detroit Lions is less than a month away.

Veteran Jimmy Garoppolo is suspended for the first two games, so Stetson Bennett is presumably in line to back up starting quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Not so fast.

Bennett tossed a score-tying touchdown pass with four seconds left in a victory over the Dallas Cowboys, but four intercepted passes before that gave coach Sean McVay pause.

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On Tuesday, McVay was asked if he felt comfortable with Bennett as the backup.

“We’ve still got to be able to see some more body of work,” McVay said, reiterating that while he was impressed with Bennett’s resilience, the quarterback needs to take better care of the ball. “He’s got to continue to improve — and we’re still in evaluation mode.”

Bennett, who played the entire game against the Cowboys, will get his next opportunity Saturday against the Chargers at SoFi Stadium.

Dresser Winn is the other quarterback, so it remains to be seen if the Rams will make a roster move if Bennett, a fourth-round draft pick in 2023, continues to struggle with turnovers.

On Tuesday, Stafford and Garoppolo will get the majority of work when the Rams hold a joint practice with the Cowboys in Oxnard. It will mark the third time in a week that the teams will share a field.

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The Rams were scheduled to practice Wednesday for a second time with the Chargers in El Segundo. Those plans were made when the Rams assumed they would be operating from their new temporary facility in Woodland Hills after training camp at Loyola Marymount.

The Woodland Hills site was not ready, however, so the Rams remain based at Cal Lutheran in Thousand Oaks, making the commute to Oxnard much shorter than an onerous trip to El Segundo.

“Wednesday traffic, you would have been talking about having our guys in the car for over three hours,” McVay said.

In a joint practice with the Cowboys last week, McVay adopted a very conservative approach on offense because of an injury-depleted line and the presence of Cowboys pass rushers Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence.

Left tackle Alaric Jackson (ankle), left guard Jonah Jackson (shoulder) and right tackle Rob Havenstein (ankle) remain sidelined. Receiver Puka Nacua (knee) also is out.

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Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and receiver Brandin Cooks combined often against the Rams defense in the first joint practice.

Rookie safety Kamren Kinchens was among Rams players who made plays while facing Prescott and backup Trey Lance. After facing Stafford and Garoppolo in Rams practices, Kinchens was not intimidated going up against an established NFL quarterback.

“In my mind, every time I see a good quarterback, I want to pick him off,” said Kinchens, a third-round pick from Miami. “That’s my mindset kind of going in. Stay within the defense and, doing my job and just knowing when opportunities come, make the most of them.”

Kinchen practiced well and played well against the Cowboys, McVay said.

“He’s getting more and more comfortable of understanding where his play opportunities are,” McVay said, adding, “I’ve been really pleased with him. … Kam’s only getting better.”

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Etc.

Linebacker Ernest Jones IV has not been practicing because of a knee issue, but McVay said he expected the defensive signal-caller to participate Wednesday. … During a team drill inside the 20-yard line, second-year safety Jason Taylor II intercepted a pass by Garoppolo for what could have been a pick-six. … The Rams waived kicker Tanner Brown.

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