Giants, Browns conduct gentlemanly practices
Browns tight end Jordan Franks makes a diving attempt at a reception as Giants defensive back Chris Johnson defends during a joint NFL training camp practice on Thursday in Berea, Ohio. Credit: AP/Ron Schwane
BEREA, Ohio — The Giants and Browns were on their best behavior during Thursday’s joint practices. Their workout against each other was so professional and cordial that tight end Evan Engram came off the field sounding just a tad bit disappointed.
"I actually expected it to be more chippy than it was," he said.
Two of the main reasons it was not had to do with the head coaches. Kevin Stefanski of the Browns had spent the past few days drilling into his players the need to stay focused on the football and not get lured into any shoving matches or extra hits. Joe Judge, too, set forth strict guidelines for the pace of play, which included a lack of tackling to the ground.
"We don’t have to get on a plane and fly cross-country to come get in a fist fight," Joe Judge said. "We’re out here to play football against a good team and improve what we’re doing."
That the two coaches have known each other for so long — they were high school teammates at one brief point and played in the same Philadelphia area growing up — helped them secure such an uneventful practice.
"We both have things in our mind that we want to accomplish and it doesn’t mean coming out here with sloppy work," Judge said. "I know how his team plays. They play hard, they play fundamentally sound, they’re very well-coached. They had a lot of success last year because of the way they put the team together. We’re looking to come out here this week and just get better as a team, and that’s really the goal right there. Does it work out well to be able to work with guys you have a relationship with? Absolutely. Absolutely."
That doesn’t mean there was any lack of intensity on the field. When the Browns won the final two series of the practice — first scoring on a desperation touchdown pass to cap their two-minute drive (although Baker Mayfield likely would have been sacked) then intercepting Daniel Jones on the third play of the Giants’ opportunity — they celebrated as if they had won a playoff game. The Giants moped off the field as if they’d lost one.
Even with all that, though, safety Logan Ryan said the feelings on the field were "nowhere close" to what would be needed to spark a brawl or some other melee that usually marks these dual practices.
Besides, Ryan quipped, recalling the Giants practice early in camp that ended with a rumble, "we had our fights already for camp."
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
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