The New York Giants held their first joint practice of training camp Monday, working with the Detroit Lions in what can be seen as a final tune-up before their preseason opener on Aug. 8, and things got chippy multiple times which led to a handful of on-field fights.
A total of three fights were reported by various media members throughout the practice. It was a hot day outside, so that likely played a factor in the increased tension.
Daniel Jones was involved in a massive brawl
According to the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard, tensions really heated up midway through practice, after head coach Brian Daboll lashed out at a Lions’ defensive lineman for batting a pass by quarterback Daniel Jones, which was immediately followed by a scrum between offensive lineman Greg Van Roten and another Lions player that escalated into an all-out brawl. That was the second major fight of the practice.
Not soon after, a third fight erupted between the two teams, and Giants’ general manager Joe Schoen was seen stepping onto the field to try to break up the fight, a fitting conclusion to a wild and physical joint practice.
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Jones was standing up for his teammates during a chippy practice
The fight that involved Jones stood out the most among everyone at camp. The quarterback spoke to reporters after practice and said that he felt that he needed to stand up for his teammates amidst the physical nature the Lions presented themselves with. Fittingly, Jones was wearing a shirt that said “We > Me,” further indicative of his team-first mentality.
“Situation happens like that, try to stand up for your guys,” Jones said (h/t SNY). “Thought it was a good, competitive practice all day today. We made some plays and did some good things. There’s some things we need to shore up for sure, but it’s good intensity and competitive spirit.”
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New star linebacker Brian Burns chimed in on the intensity of Monday’s practice, noting that the hot weather certainly played a factor. He brushed off the skirmishes as any sort of personal feud, and cited them as simply a part of training camp.
“That’s just camp,” Burns said (h/t SNY). “It’s just a hot day, tempers start to flare when it’s hot. You’re tired and you got people hitting you, so that’s just what happens.”
Burns also applauded Jones’ leadership demonstrated by standing up for his teammates, and jokingly (or not) said that their starting quarterback should “let his O-line handle that” to avoid him getting injured in a fight.
“Daniel got jiggy with it?! I’m gonna need him to back up,” Burns said, laughing (h/t SNY). “Let his O-line handle that. He’s a competitor, he’s a fighter, I don’t expect nothing less from him. But I don’t need him in that, I don’t need him getting hit. Keep him healthy.”
The Giants have one more joint practice with the Lions on Tuesday before they prepare for the preseason opener scheduled for Thursday. Could the tempers from Monday’s practice carry over into Tuesday’s? That remains to be seen.
