Falcons, Dolphins Fight 3 Times & Twice in 6 Minutes in Joint Practice

The Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins navigated a tension-filled joint practice Wednesday.

The Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins fought three separate times in Wednesday's joint practice. / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Tensions flared between the Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins before either team's offense had taken a snap in 11-on-11s on Day 2 of joint practices Wednesday at Baptist Health Training Complex in Miami Gardens.

By the end of the practice, which came sooner than expected due to Falcons receiver Rondale Moore being carted off with a non-contact right lower body injury, there were three official fights between the two teams.

[RELATED: Fights, Injuries & QBs: Atlanta Falcons vs. Miami Dolphins Joint Practice Recap Day 2]

The first scrum of the day came during special teams, when a Dolphins gunner ran into a Falcons returner -- believed to be either Moore or cornerback Mike Hughes -- in a non-contact portion of practice.

The encounter did not escalate beyond control, as around 20 players piled in and the scene ended after 15-to-20 seconds, but it nevertheless set the tone for a chippy practice.

On the first play of 11-on-11s, Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell lowered his pads and hit Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert in a physical manner. A few snaps later, a defensive shoving match occurred, with defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and safety Jessie Bates III among the Falcons' representatives after Atlanta stopped a rushing attempt from Miami.

The Falcons Podcast: Spotify | Apple Pods | iHeart

All of this happened on the field nearest the stands, where fans and reporters alike sat beneath an awning and out of the warm Miami weather. But on the far field, the Falcons' offense and Dolphins' defense took small scuffles to another level.

In the span of six minutes, there were two full-blown fights and another minor dust-up.

The first arose after running back Tyler Allgeier had a physical run around the right corner into Miami's sideline. Upon exiting the playing surface, extracurricular activities ensued, and benches emptied.

A minor skirmish happened a few moments later, when Moore caught a pass on the Dolphins' sideline and was forcefully pushed out of bounds. Taking exception to the shove, Moore stood up and threw the football at the Dolphins defender before exchanging words.

Then, the biggest of the day.

Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins hit receiver Ray-Ray McCloud over the middle for a gain of around 15 yards. The Dolphins' defense tackled McCloud, who stood up and threw a punch at the nearest defender.

McCloud's swing created a massive pile of the entirety of both the Falcons' offense and Dolphins' defense. Afterwards, the two sides met in the middle of the field and huddled for several minutes as tensions cooled and reminders were given.

Cousins said after practice the message was designed to address the troops and get the players to stand down -- but the 12-year veteran acknowledged fights come with the nature of joint practices.

"It's inevitable, I feel," Cousins said. "Every time I've had a practice like this, the key is we still get our work in, that we don't have to truly split up or cancel the practice. It's the extracurriculars, it's the second shove that tends to escalate it.

"I was glad that we were able to get our work in even though some guys still have to kind of peacock and stick their chest out a little bit."

No fights occurred over the final half-hour of the session.

The Detroit Lions and New York Giants were fined for fighting at their joint practice this week. And with Wednesday's three fights following a tense skirmish Tuesday, the Falcons and Dolphins may find their wallets a little lighter when all is said and done as well.

After completing joint practices Wednesday, Atlanta and Miami will get off Thursday before kicking off the preseason at 7 p.m. Friday inside Hard Rock Stadium.