Joint practices have become increasingly popular in the NFL, with teams valuing the live reps against top competition for both their starters and players competing for a roster spot. In advance of their preseason matchup, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Miami Dolphins put on a show for those in attendance.
The head-to-head practice between the Dolphins and Buccaneers served as an appetizer for the looming preseason matchup. Tampa Bay is hosting Miami on Saturday with a 7:30 PM ET at Raymond James Stadium. While several big names – including Tom Brady won’t be available for Saturday’s game, we did get to see them on the practice field at the AdventHealth Training Center.
Needless to say, the competition throughout the practice was fierce. It provides players with an opportunity to not only prove themselves against a legitimate opponent, but it also creates new opportunities to make a case for snaps in the preseason or to strengthen their argument to be on the 53-man roster.
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After taking part in warmups, the intensity ramped up with one-on-one matchup, 11 vs. 11 battles and then some enticing two-minute drills to end the day.
Here are three observations from the Miami Dolphins vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers joint practice.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers receivers shine
Facing a talented Dolphins’ secondary, Tampa Bay’s wideout saw an opportunity to prove themselves against outstanding competition. Weeks after joining the team, Julio Jones delivered the highlight of the joint practice on a day when he consistently shined against Xavien Howard.
While Jones attracted plenty of attention, another Buccaneers’ receiver also stood out. Jaelon Darden rivaled Jones for the day’s MVP, putting on a magnificent showing against Miami’s 2020 first round pick Noah Igbinoghene. Darden beat him three times during 1-on-1s, once blowing right by him down the sideline before making a great move on him during a later rep.
Not to be outdone, with the Buccaneers needing someone to step up as Chris Godwin recovers from a torn ACL, Russell Gage and Scotty Miller both made some nice plays.
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Injury scares serve reminder of risk from joint practices
After losing center Ryan Jensen during a practice early in training camp, Tampa Bay experienced several injury scares during the joint session with the Dolphins.
Gage suffered a leg injury early in the day, never returning to the practice field. Fortunately, per Ian Rapoport, the injury is believed to be minor. Meanwhile, second-year center Robert Hainsey had to be carted off late in practice. It created major concern immediately for the Buccaneers, facing the possibility of having to turn to a third-string center to snap footballs to Brady.
Thankfully for Tampa Bay, according to Jeff Darlington of ESPN, the early diagnosis on Hainsey’s injury is that he is dealing with leg cramps. It provided the team with a sigh of relief after experiencing multiple injury scares to key players.
Tempers flare between Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Things got heated a few times between the Buccaneers’ offense and the Dolphins’ defense. Of course, it’s a common occurrence when teams start competing at joint practices.
Tampa Bay wideout Tyler Johnson got into shouting matches with Miami’s defenders. Later in practice during 11-on-11 drills, tempers boiled over when Dolphins’ Brandon Jones laid a hard hit on Scotty Miller. Johnson immediately defended his teammate, pushing and shoving till they were separated. A few plays later Johnson took a heavy hit, enraging him again before he walked off slowly. Even Brady got into shouting matches with Dolphins’ defenders, the same team he discussed being a part of this offseason.
They will have another joint practice today before playing their scheduled preseason game against each other. So more updates will come of today’s practice and hopefully tempers and injuries can be avoided.