WESTFIELD, Ind. — The Cleveland Browns wanted to break up the monotony of training camp and increase the level of competition in their practices ahead of the 2019 regular season, and that is why they literally took the show on the road.
On Wednesday, the Browns held their first of two joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts at the spacious Grand Park in central Indiana ahead of Saturday’s preseason game at Lucas Oil Stadium, and it was a solid day’s work for the team.
“I thought we competed, and that is what we want to see,” Browns coach Freddie Kitchens said.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield added, “Good first day’s work. We still have a ways to go. We have to be a little bit more physical, but I thought we tempo-ed well. We played a lot. We kept the ones in there for a long time in the ‘move the ball’ period. Did some good things, but we will see the tape.”
Both Kitchens and the players felt Wednesday’s work against the Colts helped spark competition on the field.
“You get tired of practicing against the same people,” Kitchens said. “This is a tremendous opportunity for us to get a little measuring stick as far as what we have been doing. Practicing against somebody else is always good. It changes the competition up.”
Linebacker Christian Kirksey added, “Going up against another offense is definitely helpful for us to see different looks, but I think we had high energy, ran around and it was great competition.
“You get tired of going against your teammates for three weeks, so it feels good to go against an opponent, ramp up the energy, get your pads loose against another guy and it’s just a little more competition. That’s what’s to be expected.”
The Browns welcomed the opportunity to practice with the Colts because they saw Indianapolis take a step as a franchise when under the direction of a rookie coach in Frank Reich, the organization overcame a 1-5 start to make the postseason in 2018.
By competing against the Colts, who will break camp after Thursday’s on-field work, the Browns are confident they will see a difference in their play sooner rather than later.
“Absolutely, anytime you get to hit somebody else and not your own teammates where you know exactly what they are doing because you are practicing against them so many days in a row, it is always great,” Mayfield said. “Just seeing different looks and different things and being able to take it back to you Day 1 reads and your rules is great for us to see.
“Anytime you can compete against some of the best, that is when you get better. Iron sharpens iron. That is the way to do it. Coming out here is a good thing for us.”