OWINGS MILLS, MD (WTKR)- When it comes to preseason camp, players will tell you they get tired of going up against the same guys day after day. Tuesday saw the Commanders switch things up.
Washington made the trip up the beltway to meet the Ravens for the first of two joint practices the teams will hold with each other leading up to their preseason match-up on Monday.
"It's fun," said wide receiver Terry McLaurin. "I love competing man and it's fun going against a different team, too. You go against each other for so long, you kind of get familiar with your teammates. They get familiar with what you do. When you come out here against another team, it's good to have a measuring stick of how you've made it up until this point in camp.”
Head coach Ron Rivera spent most of his time with the offense on Tuesday, watching Sam Howell and the unit closely. Rivera and his staff saw both pros and cons in the team's first preseason performance, a 17-15 win at Cleveland on Friday, so now they look to build on those things and see how they stack up against another AFC North opponent. The head coach liked certain things he saw from Howell and the offensive line, the latter of which drew concern during Friday's game.
"I thought he could have gotten rid of the ball a couple of times when he didn't," Rivera said of Howell. "For the most part, he made some really good decisions, good throws. I really liked the way that the offensive tempo was."
Rivera also added that the offensive line play was better, though there were some moments he feels the unit could be "a little bit more stout."
Tuesday's practice got a little bit chippy with several fights breaking out during the session. Coaches were able to quickly restore order following the altercations and get some good work in, but even though the intensity is high, Rivera does not want to see practice halting for players to skirmish.
"It can't be chippy," he said. "It can't be about yourself. It's not personal. You get beat, you get beat. Let's just move on to the next thing and let's focus in on what's happening, what's important. We're trying to practice. Everybody's trying to get better, but that chippiness you just can't have because it doesn't make sense."
"Sometimes things get a little physical, but it didn't get too bad," added McLaurin. "At the end of the day, it's just guys competing, but at the end of the day, we want to look out for each other's careers and make sure we're not doing anything that's too over the line.”
Washington and Baltimore will hold their second joint practice tomorrow before meeting at FedEx Field on Monday at 8:00 PM. The Commanders cap off their preseason schedule next Saturday, August 26, at 6:05 PM when they host the Bengals.
Ron Rivera and company kick off the regular season at home against the Cardinals on September 10 at 1:00 PM.
