The Atlanta Falcons participated in the first of two joint practices with the New York Jets on Friday, and things got chippy.
Multiple fights broke out between the two teams, despite the Falcons having a no-tolerance fighting policy. Rookie QB Desmond Ridder got to face off against his old Cincinnati teammate, Jets CB Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner. Meanwhile, WR Drake London made the trip but missed practice.
Check out the major takeaways and highlights from Friday’s joint practice below.
1
Desmond Ridder finds Jared Bernhardt, beats Sauce Gardner
Training camp darling Jared Bernhardt was at it again on Friday, pulling in the above pass from Ridder to beat Jets rookie Ahmad Gardner for a touchdown. Ridder and Gardner are no strangers to practicing together from their time in Cincinnati.
Gardner was a frequent Falcons draft projection back in April, but the Jets snagged him before Atlanta had the chance. Ridder, on the other hand, fell all the way to the third round despite being projected to go much higher.
2
Mariota: The good and the bad
It’s been a few years since the Falcons had a starting quarterback with the kind of speed that Mariota has. In Atlanta’s preseason opener, the former No. 2 overall pick rushed for 23 yards and a touchdown, while completing all three of his passes. It hasn’t all been positive for Mariota, though.
As ESPN’s Rich Cimini pointed out, Mariota finished Friday’s joint practice against the Jets with four straight incompletions in the two-minute drill.
3
Drake London out again
As Falcons reporter Tori McElhaney indicates in the above tweet, first-round pick Drake London did not practice on Friday. London, who was injured during the opening drive of Atlanta’s preseason opener in Detroit, is unlikely to play in Monday’s game.
Whether or not London is healthy enough to suit up, the team should be extra cautious with the rookie since he will likely be a big part of the Falcons offense this season.
4
Multiple fights break out between Falcons, Jets
As reported by D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, three fights broke out during Friday’s joint practice. Watch Ledbetter’s video of the second brawl below.
WARNING: Video contains profane…
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