Bucs and Jaguars complete first joint practice together
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Wednesday morning provided a unique opportunity for Tampa Bay Buccaneers players as they walked out onto the field at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville.
It was a chance to catch up with old friends and colleagues, as well as a chance to refocus on their preseason schedule.
"It's always fun going against another team. Just the energy and juice of it. It's fun," said Bucs safety Antoine Winfield Jr.
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Kicking off their first of two joint practices with the Jaguars, the Bucs took full advantage of a full day in pads against another team.
"It was a solid day," Winfield said. "It's great work for us to see a different opponent, some different guys and different faces."
Even though these two teams will meet on Saturday in their second preseason games, for most on the field, wearing either red or teal, their game actually started Wednesday rather than Saturday.
"This is a game for us. We might not be playing all the preseason games," Winfield said. "This is a game for us with game speed and game mentality. So, we have to come out here and actually execute what we're doing."
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That "game mentality" has been known, however, to lead to fights during joint practices from time to time. But both Bucs head coach Todd Bowles and Jaguars head coach Doug Marone kept an eye on the field, making sure the focus was on football rather than fighting.
"It was football. It was good football," said Bowles. "There was physicality up front. Everybody took care of each other. We don't need to fight to play good football."
Bowles' assessment of his team couldn't be more spot on as both the Bucs and Jags practiced hard but stayed on their best behavior.
"There were no fights," Winfield said. "This is probably the cleanest joint practice I've seen, so it was a good day."
And no player on either team is hoping to jinx the camaraderie displayed during their second joint practice on Thursday.
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"You want to take care of everybody," Winfield said. "Everybody wants to make it to the season at 100%. We're out here working against one another, but we're also not killing each other out here."
The two teams meet once more Thursday morning for their final joint practice before taking Friday off in anticipation of Saturday's preseason game.
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