Video courtesy of HBO’s Hard Knocks
SAN FRANCISCO — One year ago, the Houston Texans traveled to Richmond, Va. for joint practices against the Washington Redskins.
What was supposed to be two productive days of football rapidly turned into a pay-per-view WWE smackdown. Tempers boiled and ceaseless fighting dominated each practice period, so much so, the teams had to cancel planned 11-on-11 scrimmages, instead going their separate ways on opposite fields.
Will Houston bring this same chippy attitude to Santa Clara when they arrive Friday? The 49ers hope not.
After nearly two weeks of training camp, players around the NFL are sick and tired of going against their own teammates. Things are bound to get feisty, and at the very least, the hitting should be much more physical.
Regardless of the boiling room that is joint practices, San Francisco players made it clear on Wednesday they want no part of the stunt the Texans pulled last year.
“Fighting is not going to get us nowhere,” NaVorro Bowman said. “Arguing about calls is not going to get us nowhere. You just have to move on to the next play and continue to compete.”
“Fighting in practice doesn’t prove you are a good football player,” left tackle Joe Staley said.
Staley, a fierce competitor sporting a scabbed cut on his nose, said he’s only fought once during a training camp in his career. That fight took place against Jeff Ulbrich back in 2007.
“It was a bad idea,” Staley recalled with a laugh. “He whopped my ass.”
The 49ers have had a relatively tame training camp compared to other teams around the league. There’s been only one documented scuffle, between linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong and tight end Busta Anderson. A source told KNBR.com some position coaches around the NFL often encourage small fights during training camp to intensify a practice setting. It can raise the level of competition and can ultimately bring teammates closer together.
Chip Kelly, though, has limited contact in his first training camp in San Francisco. While tackling is going on at other camps around the league, the 49ers have focused much more on pacing, tempo and the speed of the game — Kelly staples. Players seem to adore this practice style. Repitions are the same, but often in half the amount of time in previous 49er training camps. Kelly’s less physical camp is working in another key area, too. Besides wide receiver Eric Rogers tearing his ACL on a non-contact play, there haven’t been any major injuries to report.
Kelly has already mapped out the full practice schedule with Texans head coach Bill O’Brien. They both to appear to be on the same page about not wanting fisticuffs to be flying.
“They understand that you have to play with emotion, not let emotion play with you,” Kelly said. “It’s the same rules that you have in a game. If you get in a fight in a game, you’re not going to be around.”
Bowman didn’t downplay the energy will have a completely different feel with the Texans in town. But the veteran seems like he’s ready to play the role of police officer if the boxing gloves do come on Friday.
“When the Texans come in, I think it will be a little more ramped-up, more game-like,” Bowman said. “But keep in mind, we do play them on Sunday. You don’t want to do too much so that you’re healthy on Sunday.”