WESTFIELD, Ind. — Cleveland Browns coach Freddie Kitchens sent a very clear message about what he thought of intra-squad fighting during training camp practices, and he made the entire team run for a skirmish earlier in the preseason.
However, there was no such public punishment following a scuffle between the Browns and Indianapolis Colts during their joint practice at Grand Park in the Indianapolis suburb of Westfield ahead of Saturday’s preseason game at Lucas Oil Stadium.
“I just know that we are not going to take nothing from anybody,” Kitchens said following practice. “At some point, you have to stand up for yourself. If it is a penalty, then it is a penalty.”
While Kitchens liked the fact that the Browns did not just take the physical interaction with the Colts and allow it to spill over into other drills, he will not hesitate to put the team on the line for more conditioning as punishment.
“We will decide something,” Kitchens said. “That will stay in-house, whatever we decide to do, but I told them we are not taking anything either, though. We will see what caused it and what happened, and then, evaluate the situation, but we are not going to take anything from anybody either.
“We are not going to get penalties against our own team when we are in Berea. We are not going to come in here and take anything either now. There better not be a lot of fights, but we are going to line up and run here. They know that, and they have been told that.”
Although Kitchens does not condone the practice scuffles, both he and the players understand the need to defend their teammates when a situation does arise.
“We’re not going to take anything from a player doing anything they’re not supposed to do,” linebacker Christian Kirksey said. “You’re not going to do that. You’re going to take up for your teammates, but we’re all professionals and we’ve got to handle ourselves accordingly.”
When the Browns and Colts reconvene for Thursday’s work at Grand Park, Kirksey expects an increased level of professionalism between two teams with lofty goals of deep postseason runs during the 2019 season.
“At the end of the day, we’re all trying to get something accomplished, and that’s finish this camp, compete, get ready to play each other on Saturday,” Kirksey said.
“Just get in good work, good competition work. It’s not about the fights. It’s not about seeing who’s the biggest, baddest team after the whistle. It’s about in-between the lines, playing football and getting each other better. That’s what it’s all about.”