Preseason joint practices are a love-hate tackle fest.
Following on from the Miami v Detroit joint practice/open warfare/PR battle, I thought I would delve a little deeper into what happens at these joint practices and why they matter….. or not.
NFL preseason joint practices — the sweet spot where camaraderie, competition and chaos meet in perfect harmony.
On paper, it sounds like a great idea: “Get two teams together for a few days of friendly scrimmaging!”
In reality, it is more like: “Let’s simulate a street fight in pads and call it development.”
Let us dive into the pros and cons of these delightful joint practices that signal football is back — even if the touchdowns do not count.
Pro: It is real football – sort of
Joint practices are the closest thing to game action without the stress of, you know, actually losing a game.
Coaches love them because they can yell at someone else’s players for a change.
Fans love them because they get to see wide receivers cooking someone other than their own overpaid cornerback. Everybody wins!
Except the cornerback. He definitely lost.
Con: The fights, so many fights
Nothing says “team bonding” like two grown men trying to rip each other’s helmets off because someone accidentally breathed too hard on a quarterback wearing a red no-contact jersey.
Joint practices have more brawls than a WWE Royal Rumble, and usually less choreography.
One moment, it is a one-on-one drill, the next it is a full-blown melee and someone’s thrown a Gatorade cooler.
And yes, it is always caught on video and posted with the caption: “Camp getting chippy.”
Pro: Iron sharpens iron
Going up against unfamiliar opponents helps players improve and get a feel for real-game scenarios.
Quarterbacks face new defensive schemes, offensive linemen get embarrassed by someone new and rookie wideouts learn quickly that just because you bossed your college roommate, it does not mean you are ready for Jalen Ramsey.
Con: Injury risk
There is nothing comforting about seeing your star player limping off the field during a meaningless August scuffle because someone “did not get the memo” about going full speed.
Coaches try to keep it controlled but at least once a year, someone blows out an ACL during a drill that was supposed to be “half-speed, guys, c’mon”.
Verdict
Joint practices are like a family reunion with most of the family you do not like: awkward and almost guaranteed to end in a brawl.
But hey, at least football’s back!
By the way, the Dolphins beat the Lions 24-17 in the preseason game that followed the joint practices.
