Why Browns Commentary On Joint Practices Signals Need For Change To Preseason

At some point in the very near future an 18th game is expected to be added to the NFL regular season. When it is, the league will lop off a preseason game from the schedule as a bargaining chip with the NFLPA to balance things back out.

Why stop there?

The Cleveland Browns just wrapped up two days of joint practices with the Minnesota Vikings. They were two sessions that served as pseudo preseason games, allowing the two inter-conference foes to set up very specific scenarios they want to work on.

Additionally, with the majority of reps exclusively being handled by the first and second team offenses and defenses, it sets the stage for a battle of the bubble players in Saturday's preseason matchup between the two teams. It won't exactly be appointment television.

Everything I can gather from the players and coaches involved suggests that joint practices are the preferred method of preparation for the season by NFL teams. Take it from head coach Kevin Stefanski, who expressed before the Vikings had even arrived in town that he believes his team gets more out of the sessions than the mundane preseason games fans have to suffer through.

“I do and I like that you can have controlled settings," Stefanski said this week. "I like that both sides can feel confident that their quarterbacks are going to stay upright. And I like that you can script practice and get a bunch of different situations, whether it be third down, two-minute, what have you. For us, sometimes you go through a game, and you don’t get a two minute, per se, or the third and three doesn’t show up for you, those type of things. So, it allows us to really get intentional work, if you will.”

With the exception of one element, quarterback Deshaun Watson echoed the comments of his head coach ahead of the final day of joint work. As he explained, the only thing lacking is the pressures of knowing if you make a mistake in a game there are legitimate consequences.

It's a fair point, but Watson's overall message on the value of the two days was still prominent.

“I think you get more [out of joint pracitces]" he said. "I think the only thing that you don't get is live, kind of situational—when I say live, you still get those situations throughout practice, but the course of how the game is going to flow. Outside of that, I think you get more just because the defense, they don't have any type of true, ‘responsibility’ to – if they get beat, they can try anything, they can try everything."

There may not be any game planning going on specific to your opponent at joint practices, but that's not happening during preseason games either. As Watson said, you get a chance to see an assortment of different looks within a roulette of scenarios that the coaches put their respective teams in. There's also less risk of injury.

From a defensive perspective defensive tackle Maurice Hurst believes the two sessions helped them get re-acclimated to real game speed – another important piece of training camp.

"It's extremely beneficial just to get out there, to get live reps," said Hurst. "The game just starts going faster and faster as you go from practice to preseason to the game. You just have to work on your communication, everything like that. So, I mean, it's extremely beneficial for guys getting your hands fitted correctly and everything like that."

#Browns Offense had a marginally better day in second joint practice with #Vikings but struggled mightily during 2 minute drill to end the session. My notes from what was day 15 of camp: https://t.co/M6aGuMyA8T
— 𝚂𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛 𝙶𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚗 (@Spencito_) August 15, 2024

You'd be hard pressed to find anyone with anything bad to say about the joint practice experience. Which brings us back to the original question: when this inevitable 18-game season gets rolled out and the preseason likely gets cut down to two games, why stop there?

If the coaches and players so adamantly believe these joint practices accomplish the exact same thing or more, why not spare everyone the drudgery of meaningless preseason games? Perhaps a model that substitutes games for multiple weeks of joint practices, one at home and one on the road is a feasible option. Or maybe just one "final dress rehearsal" could suffice, preempted by those two weeks of joint practices.

Whatever it looks like it would have to be collectively bargained, of course. But based on the commentary this week if sure doesn't sound like you'd find too many people inside or outside the NFL against a revamped preseason model.