With verbal and sometimes physical jousting becoming commonplace among teammates during training camp, it certainly isn’t far-fetched to think that when players from opposing teams line-up in front of each other that the same would occur. We’ve already seen a brawl erupt during a joint practice between Washington and Houston, but Ron Rivera is hoping the same thing won’t happen between the Panthers’ and Dolphins and admits both teams have taken steps to prevent it.
“We talked and the idea is they’ll manage the whistle and if things start we’ll nip it in the butt,” Rivera said on Monday. “If we have to take guys off the field we’ll do it.
“The idea is to work. It’s not to come in and have a big brawl. We want to actually get quality practice. Joe (Philbin) and I talked about it and we both feel the same way.”
“This is a great opportunity for our football teams to grow,” Rivera said. “We don’t play each other during the regular season, so it’ll be a good time to utilize our offensive and defensive strategies and really test the other team and help the other team.”
For these joint practices to be beneficial, both teams will have to find the perfect balance between competitive aggression and level heads. I’m also certain that both coaches have issued a stern warning of intolerance to each team. Don’t expect either squad to make national headlines for fighting.