When teams come together for joint practices, more often than not, fights occur. For some players, it’s their first chance to hit someone other than their own teammates, so tempers can boil over at times.
Sean McVay hopes the Rams and Bengals can avoid any extracurricular activity after the whistle this week when they practice together on Wednesday and Thursday. The Rams practiced against the Raiders and Cowboys last summer, and with the Raiders in 2019, and every time, at least one fight broke out.
Odds are another one will occur this week against the Bengals, especially considering these two teams squared off in Super Bowl LVI just six months ago.
“The good thing is, is that with Zac (Taylor) and I having worked together, we have the same sort of practice philosophy,” McVay said Monday. “The goal is really to get good work in, positively push one another. We don’t want any cheap stuff. … We have no place for fighting. We have to be able to get two good days of work. These opportunities really matter, and we can’t afford to miss it for dumb (expletive). We won’t have it. I don’t expect that and I know Zac are very much aligned.”
For the Rams’ starters, this is their most important week of practice. They haven’t played at all in the preseason, and the coaching staff will use these two days to get them in game-like situations against another opponent.
Matthew Stafford will get to work with Allen Robinson against someone other than the Rams’ own cornerbacks. Jalen Ramsey will get to cover players such as Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins rather than Cooper Kupp and Robinson.
Avoiding fights will be a challenge, but McVay hopes his players can find a way to do so.
