Why Jalen Mills was a fan of Patriots’ scrap-heavy practice against the Packers
"We’re competitive, they’re competitive. It’s going to get chippy."
When the pads are finally put on for competitive practices during training camp, it’s to be expected for teammates to start doling out some trash talk against one another.
But when the preseason calendar flips to joint practices? All bets are off.
Scraps, scuffles and full-out brawls are commonplace during the NFL preseason when two opposing rosters are competing against one another during the steamy late summer months.
And on Thursday morning in Green Bay, players on both the Patriots and Packers had to separated on multiple occasions.
According to Nicole Yang of The Boston Globe, at least eight different scraps broke out during Thursday’s practice, with most of the vitriol traded between New England’s defensive unit and Green Bay’s offense.
Only one Patriot was tossed from practice, with linebacker Anfernee Jennings sent off after leveling Green Bay’s Keshawn Banks during a punt coverage drill. Banks originally tried to swing at Patriots rookie Keion White, prompting Jennings to run over and knock the linebacker to the turf.
The Packers were not done with White, with yet another punt coverage drill leading to another scrum. In the midst of the scrap, Packers LB Isaiah McDuffie’s helmet came off, with White subsequently tossing it high in the air.
Bill Belichick at one point had to gather his defensive players around in order to calm things down. But even as the fights began to dissipate, players like Jabrill Peppers held a running commentary of jeers and chirps against the Packers throughout the practice.
Patriots defensive back Jalen Mills was not surprised by the chippiness that broke out during Thursday’s practice.
“Two competitive teams going at it,” Mills told reporters following practice. “We’re competitive, they’re competitive. It’s going to get chippy. I mean, it’s a joint practice. Guys are out here trying to win jobs and show what they’ve got to the coaching staff.”
While joint practices run the risk of flying off the rails due to multiple skirmishes, Mills viewed Thursday’s competitive session as a sign that the Patriots are executing at a high level.
“When things get edgy, when things get chippy, the mental errors kinda go away,” Mills said. “Guys are actually locked in. And that’s what you want. There are times when it may get a little chippy and guys are talking noise here and there, and guys can’t think and they just wanna go out there and hit the first thing they see. But [we’re] still executing at a high level and doing what each play allows you to do.”
Most of the Patriots’ trash talk on Thursday was backed up by their play on the field.
Mac Jones had one of the best days of practice in a Patriots jersey.
According to Mark Daniels of MassLive.com, Jones completed 14 of his 17 passes on Thursday, with New England’s top offensive unit regularly picking apart Green Bay’s defense in regular scrimmage drills and red-zone sequences.
Jones’s 50-yard touchdown pass to DeVante Parker during a two-minute drill prompted the entire Patriots roster to run onto the field in celebration.
On defense, Kyle Dugger picked off Packers QB Jordan Love, while second-year corner Jack Jones recorded two pass breakups.
Despite New England’s strong returns on the field Thursday, veteran Matt Judon stressed that those various fights don’t hold much weight, especially given the ramifications if they played out in a game setting.
“We came out here to get better. I believe Green Bay wanted to get better,” Judon told reporters. “We don’t put [boxing] gloves on for a living. We’re not boxers. We’re not fighters. We came out here to get better and improve in our craft.
“If any of that happened in a game, we would’ve all been kicked out. We would’ve been playing with like 17 players. That stuff can’t happen. You have to be a professional. We came here to play football and that’s what we eventually got to.”
The Patriots and Packers will look to put the gloves away on Saturday when they meet for a preseason matchup at Lambeau Field. Kick-off is set for 8 p.m.
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