20 July 2023 , 18:10
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NFL franchises are taking advantage of the offseason by participating in joint practice sessions with their rival teams. This trend has become increasingly popular, with a staggering 27 NFL franchises arranging joint practices with other teams.
Thirteen of these teams will even engage in multiple joint practice sessions, highlighting the growing significance of this preseason model in the league. The purpose of joint practice sessions is to prevent the offseason from becoming monotonous.
By facing off against each other in practice, both the offense and defense are able to stay sharp and maintain their competitive edge. Additionally, these sessions provide rookies with an opportunity to acclimate to the NFL and shake off any pre-debut jitters.
For coaches, joint practices offer valuable insights that can help them plan for the upcoming season. However, tensions can sometimes run high during these joint practice sessions, reports the Express US.
In August 2021, a scuffle broke out between Sterling Shepard of the New York Giants and Troy Hill, a cornerback for the Cleveland Browns, during a joint practice session. Such incidents serve as a reminder that the intensity of these sessions can sometimes lead to confrontations while there is also the possibility that teams may push harder against their opponents, increasing the risk of injuries before the start of the new NFL campaign.
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Despite these potential challenges, legendary New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick sees the value in these joint practice sessions. He believes that working with another team provides players with the opportunity to face different opponents and exposes them to different schemes.
According to Belichick: “The way another team does something is different than the way we do it, so it’s a great opportunity… to see things quickly, without knowing exactly what’s coming as a coach, figure it out, explain it to the players if it needs to be explained, and then make the right adjustment to handle it.”
The 2023 joint practice sessions will kick off with the Atlanta Falcons and the Miami Dolphins on August 8. These two teams will practice together at Miami Gardens a few days before their preseason meeting on August 12.
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is fan of joint practice sessions in pre-season (John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)On the same day, the New York Giants will visit the Detroit Lions for a joint practice session. The following day, legendary NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets will travel to the Carolina Panthers' training facility to get a glimpse of Bryce Young, the 2023 No.1 draft pick.
It is worth noting that some teams, like the LA Rams, will participate in multiple joint practice sessions. The Rams will first host the Las Vegas Raiders on August 16 before traveling to practice with the Denver Broncos on August 23.
The final preseason joint practice session will take place on August 24, as the Houston Texans travel to Metairie, Louisiana, to observe the New Orleans Saints. This will provide NFL teams with an opportunity to evaluate the skills of CJ Stroud, the No.2 draft pick of 2023.
Here is a comprehensive list of the joint practice sessions scheduled for 2023:
- August 8: Atlanta Falcons at Miami Dolphins - Miami Gardens, FL
- August 8: New York Giants at Detroit Lions - Allen Park, MI
- August 9: New York Jets at Carolina Panthers - Spartanburg, SC
- August 9: Green Bay Packers at Cincinnati Bengals - Cincinnati, OH
- August 10: San Francisco 49ers at Las Vegas Raiders - Henderson, NV
- August 14: Cleveland Browns at Philadelphia Eagles - Philadelphia, PA
- August 15: Washington Commanders at Baltimore Ravens - Owings Mills, MD
- August 16: Chicago Bears at Indianapolis Colts - Westfield, IN
- August 16: Jacksonville Jaguars at Detroit Lions - Allen Park, MI
- August 16: Miami Dolphins at Houston Texans - Houston, TX
- August 16: New England Patriots at Green Bay Packers - Green Bay, WI
- August 16: Las Vegas Raiders at LA Rams - Irvine, CA
- August 16: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Jets - Florham Park, NJ
- August 16: Tennessee Titans at Minnesota Vikings - Eagan, MN
- August 17: New Orleans Saints at LA Chargers - Costa Mesa, CA
- August 22: Indianapolis Colts at Philadelphia Eagles - Philadelphia, PA
- August 22: New England Patriots at Tennessee Titans - Nashville, TN
- August 23: Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings - Eagan, MN
- August 23: LA Rams at Denver Broncos - Englewood, CO
- August 24: Houston Texans at New Orleans Saints - Metairie, LA
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