The Baltimore Ravens had a feeling things would get chippy in their joint practice against the Indianapolis Colts, and they could not have been more right. During a punt drill, Ravens rookie cornerback Keyon Martin and Colts running back Tyler Goodson got caught up in a scuffle. Things escalated when corner Nate Wiggins sprinted onto the field and threw several punches, leading to him getting kicked out of practice.
These things happen in training camp. Tempers flare, and with many players fighting for roster spots, brawls tend to occur. The added history between the two sides makes it no shock to see tensions erupt. With Baltimore’s preseason opener with Indianapolis coming on Thursday, it should make for a fierce matchup.
Recent practice scuffle adds heat to preseason showdown
Preseason is usually not must-see TV. Starters tend to sit out most of the game, playing one drive at most, and those fighting for their NFL lives get most of the time in the spotlight. Head Coach John Harbaugh announced the Ravens will not play their starters, which includes Wiggins, but that does not guarantee Tuesday’s intensity will not carry over to game time.
Before Tuesday’s practice, Harbaugh highlighted how keeping it to one joint practice instead of two can help limit the chippiness. While that eventually occurred in their only practice against Indianapolis, he hopes the team can learn from this ahead of Thursday night’s game.
“We want to play [the joint practice] like it’s a game. So here’s an opportunity to handle situations like you’re going to handle them in a game. And we did, 99 percent of the time, but we didn’t on that play,” Harbaugh said. “It should be a learning experience and opportunity for our team, too. You don’t have to throw a punch to get thrown out of a game. The officials threw both those guys out, so that’s an opportunity for us to learn from.”
According to reports, the officiating crew did not throw Goodson out of the practice, but the Colts held him on the sideline for the rest of the period. While the team should learn from this, especially after seeing one of their star defensive playmakers get booted, there is no doubt that more eyes will be on the two teams squaring off to kick off their preseason.
Hopefully, there will be no cheap shots and aggression that carry into play, but players might be playing with an extra chip on their shoulder. The stakes are already high for those with their NFL futures on the line, but the extra bitterness between the sides raises those stakes just a bit higher, and it should make for some exciting football.